title: Practice based research - lessons from the field.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The authors sought to describe the process of conducting a successful randomised controlled trial in a primary care setting and identify enabling factors and barriers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive report of methods used to conduct a randomised controlled trial investigating the effect of allowing sutures to be wet and uncovered in the first 48 hours following minor excisions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The trial identified several enabling factors and barriers to conducting research in a primary care setting. The project described in this article was successful because a group of general practitioners sought to answer an interesting question which was relevant to their clinical practice and which had not been answered by current evidence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings are likely to assist groups seeking to conduct practice based research in the primary care setting.
authors.affiliation: General Practice and Rural Medicine, James Cook University, Mackay, Queensland. clare.heal@jcu.edu.au
authors.forename: Clare F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Heal
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Veitch
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Preston
mesh_terms: D005194:Family Practice; D006801:Humans; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011793:Queensland; D012106:Research; D013537:Sutures