The North American Primary Care Research Group: Supporting Research by and for Family Physicians

Journal of Family Practice, March, 2001 by John M. Westfall, Mark Ebell, Ann C. Macaulay

The North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG, pronounced "Napcrag") is one of the premier primary care research organizations in the world. NAPCRG began in 1972 to "improve the health of individuals, families, and communities in North America and internationally through the development and dissemination of new knowledge applicable to primary care research, organization, and education." Additional important goals include nurturing novice researchers and stimulating senior researchers. Each year approximately 300 to 500 members present the results of their research from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and other parts of the world. Although its annual meeting and regular newsletters allow for some dissemination of the findings of this research, NAPCRG has sought a wider audience and a more permanent forum for the research presented each year.

This year JFP will publish the abstracts of the NAPCRG annual meeting held on Amelia Island, Florida, from November 4 to 6, 2000. The abstracts of the 6 distinguished papers are presented in this issue of JFP; and more than 250 other abstracts are available in a special Web site supplement at www.jfponline.com. We have made it easy to find abstracts of interest by including a topic index (ie, cardiovascular disease or women's health) and by making the collection searchable.

JFP is committed to supporting the dissemination of original research in primary care and to helping build research capacity in family medicine and primary care. We believe that a strong scientific basis for primary care is essential if the practice of family medicine is to reach its full potential. Support for primary care research and dissemination of the results are crucial steps in the evolution of this scientific base. By publishing these abstracts we hope to inform the broader medical and general community about the current state of primary care research, provide a venue for the dissemination of primary care research results, and encourage linkages among investigators around the world who are interested in similar topics and methods.

NAPCRG ABSTRACTS

The NAPCRG program committee reviewed all abstracts and papers submitted to the annual NAPCRG meeting. Each abstract was independently reviewed, scored, and ranked by at least 2 reviewers. The top 6 papers were presented in a 30-minute distinguished paper presentation at the NAPCRG meeting. The abstracts for these 6 papers are published in this issue of JFP.

Although these abstracts represent excellent research with legitimate and reasonable results, the conclusions must be interpreted carefully and with healthy skepticism. In the spirit of NAPCRG, the conference presentations include research from students, residents, practicing physicians, and junior and senior academic researchers. Because these studies were reviewed only as abstracts, it is impossible to adequately judge whether the methods used were appropriate for the research question or whether they supported the results and conclusions. Many of these abstracts represent excellent work, and many will be accepted for publication. However, some are pilot studies with small numbers of subjects, and others are only of regional interest and applicability.

We hope that you will take a few minutes to read the abstracts of the 6 distinguished papers. They represent some of the best research in primary care. We also hope you will take a few minutes to go to www.jfponline.com to browse the abstracts in the online supplement to JFP. You may find new information about an old question or even a research topic or project in which you would like to be involved. The best medical care will occur when we combine the compassionate physician-patient encounter with the very best scientific evidence. We invite you to join us in our journey and ask that you consider attending the next NAPCRG conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, from October 13 to 16, 2001. For more information, E-mail Stacy Brungardt at depdir@stfm.org, or visit NAPCRG on-line at www.napcrg.org.

All correspondence should be addressed to Jack Westfall, MD, MPH, Department of Family Medicine, University of Colorado, Denver, CO 80217-3364. E-mail: jack.westfall@uchsc.edu.