Priorities for research in the area of primary health care. How relevant are recently completed General Practice Evaluation Program projects?
BACKGROUND
Seven priority areas were recently identified for research into primary health care. We report on the relevance of research funded under the previous General Practice Evaluation Program (GPEP) to the areas identified.


METHODS
We analysed reports of 52 projects completed between January 1999 and September 2001.


RESULTS
Projects related to the priority areas as follows: quality of care (n = 20, 38%), evidence based practice (n = 11, 21%), models of organisation and care delivery (n = 9, 17%), integration (n = 8, 15%), economic issues (n = 3, 6%), prevention and health promotion (n = 1, 2%) and health inequalities (n = 4, 8%). Thirty-two projects (57%) have implications for further research in quality of care, models of organisation and care delivery, integration, economic issues, and prevention and health promotion.


CONCLUSIONS
Completed GPEP projects have relevance to the identified priority areas. They provide information to support research applications in the primary health care area funded through the National Health and Medical Research Council, and identify areas for further research.
Beacham
Barbara
B
Primary Health Care Research and Information Service, Department of General Practice, Flinders University, South Australia. barbara.beacham@flinders.edu.au
Kalucy
Libby
L
Lowcay
Belinda
B
D001315:Australia; D005194:Family Practice; D006801:Humans; D011320:Primary Health Care; D015397:Program Evaluation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012106:Research