General practice teams and citizens as co-researchers

The Bavarian Practice Based Research Network (BayFoNet) takes stock at the advisory board meeting in Würzburg and dares to look ahead.

Promoting research in general medicine through cooperation between general practices and the departments of general practice in Bavaria is the major goal of the Bavarian Practice Based Research Network (BayFoNet). "This means that we want to investigate research questions from outpatient care together with the practices, transfer the research findings to standard care in a timely manner and in a target-group-specific manner, integrate junior GPs into research and enable them to develop and implement their own research ideas, and finally involve citizens in the research process," explains project leader and spokesperson Prof. Dr. Ildikó Gágyor from the Department of General Practice at Würzburg University Hospital.

BayFoNet has been funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) for a total of five years since 2020. In addition to the University Hospitals of Erlangen and Würzburg, the University Hospital of Munich and the Klinikum rechts der Isar of the Technical University of Munich, the Institute of General Medicine of the University Hospital of Augsburg has also been part of BayFoNet since November 2022. At last week's advisory board meeting in Würzburg, representatives of the five participating Bavarian departments of general practice took stock of the situation.

More than 100 member practices certified

In the meantime, more than 200 GP practices have registered their interest in participating in BayFoNet. Of these, 118 practices have already met all accreditation criteria and received a BayFoNet member certificate. In twelve regional idea workshops, nearly 40 family physicians contributed their expertise in the development and implementation of studies. A first study initiated and developed by GPs themselves is about to start. Currently, two pilot studies on microscopy for uncomplicated urinary tract infection and on the implementation of an online education program for people with asthma are being conducted to test the functionality of the network. In addition, 14 other studies are being conducted at the five sites, which draw on the infrastructure. These have each resulted in 16 scientific publications and conference papers.

Citizens are involved in the research process

Special attention is paid in BayFoNet to the participation of citizens and GP practice teams. Almost 50 people from the population have so far been persuaded to participate in one of the 18 citizen forums and citizen advisory boards that have taken place. Anyone who is interested in research and would like to help shape scientific investigations so that they are comprehensible is cordially invited to participate. Information is available at www.bayfonet.de/en.

"Patients think it's great when the practice takes an interest in science."

Furthermore, the network partners would like to devote the next two years to the topic of data processing. As is the case within the network, no exchange can take place without trust. In this context, it is important to clarify which data should be collected and shared in a standardized manner at the Bavarian, but also at the national level, and for which purposes, and how a technical implementation can look like in concrete terms.

Initial results of the process evaluation indicate that the GP practice teams experience a strengthening of general practice through their membership in BayFoNet, their active participation and networking. They also see it as professional development as well as continuing education opportunities for practice staff. "Patients think it's great when they realize the practice is interested in science. It adds value to my practice," said one feedback from a family physician.

"We are on a very good path," says Ildikó Gágyor happily, thanking everyone involved for their efforts, generally in BayFoNet and specifically at the two-day advisory board meeting. Important impulses and feedback at the meeting at the Kassenärztliche Vereinigung Bayerns (KVB) in Würzburg came from the advisory board members Prof. Frank Sullivan from the University of St. Andrews, Prof. Alena Buyx from the Technical University of Munich and Prof. Klaus Berger from the University of Münster. The Vice Dean of the Medical Faculty of the University of Würzburg, Prof. Katrin Heinze, as well as Prof. Dr. Thomas Ewert from the Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety (LGL) set the mood for the event with greetings.

Contact

For interested GP practices that would like to become part of BayFoNet, Christian Kretzschmann is available as a contact person at  Kretzschma_C@ukw.de or Tel: 0931 201 47808. For more information, please visit www.bayfonet.de/en/