Opportunities to develop a research interest in general practice

Research delivery in general practice usually involves practices finding and recruiting patients eligible to enter research studies relevant to their care and treatment. The National Institute for Health and Research (NIHR)’s Clinical Research Network supports many practices across England to enable GPs and their staff to recruit patients into high-quality research studies on the NIHR portfolio. Involvement provides an additional source of income for the practice, but the main benefits are in staff development, quality improvement, and the ability to offer patients opportunities to contribute to important research activity. Individual GP involvement provides satisfying exposure to academic activity, which can contribute to a portfolio career or stimulate further learning or development in research activity. This article provides an overview of research delivery in the general practice setting, including resources available, consideration of the practicalities and examples of studies offered.