Fostering clinical research in general practice and family medicine. Selected abstracts from the 93rd EGPRN conference Halle, Germany, 14–17 October 2021

Abstract

The topic of conducting clinical studies in the outpatient setting has been controversial for some time. This from a structural point of view on different levels. First, the question of which studies should be used is whether RCTs are preferred or whether it is better to collect real-world data to derive real-world evidence. Then on the organisational level. How should private practices be enabled to carry out studies of high quality and with the highest possible frequency? Feasibility currently correlates with a compara-tively high expenditure of time and personnel, which meets a thin personnel cover with only short treatment times for patients. Similarly, a strongly inhomogeneous IT landscape in practices, inhomogeneous organisational structures within the medical profession and professionally inhomogeneous guidelines, indicators, etc. are identified as obstacles to the implementation of studies. In addition, there is still a high wall between inpatient and outpatient care. This is an almost fatal situation because relevant and reli-able care data are collected daily but are rarely available for valid evaluation. The goal set out in the Geneva Declaration of sharing medical knowledge for patients ’ benefit and healthcare promotion will be difficult to achieve in its best form. However, another aspect is left out of the discussion. This is the increasing integration of innovative, sometimes disruptive changes in the healthcare market as part of the digital revo-lution, which also has the power to change the physician market permanently; this is entirely independent of the different designs and structures in the various healthcare sys- tems. In Germany, telemedicine, electronic patient files and electronic prescriptions are frequently mentioned, but these are no longer innovations; these tools have already been in use in other healthcare systems for a long time. However, they are indispensable for implementing further innovations, platforms and digital applications (digital printing, use of soft artificial intelligence, etc.). None of these innovations can do without accompanying evaluation and the discussion about reimbursement will always be decided