Photo Credit: FatCamera
The following is a summary of “Experiences of general practice teams and their patients with clinical research—a mixed-methods process evaluation of the Bavarian Research Practice Network (BayFoNet),” published in the February 2025 issue of BMC Primary Care by Sanftenberg et al.
PBRNs support clinical research in German general practice since 2020. General practitioners (GPs) face challenges like high workload, limited resources, and low patient acceptance.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate GP teams’ and patients’ perspectives on BayFoNet during 2 pilot cluster-randomized trials.
They interviewed GPs and medical assistants (MAs) using semi-structured interviews based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content analysis, and patient attitudes were evaluated quantitatively with questionnaires based on the theoretical domain framework using descriptive statistics.
The results showed that 15 GPs and 15 MAs were interviewed, and 109 patient questionnaires were returned. GPs valued networking and team involvement but saw low motivation among MAs and patients as a barrier. MAs highlighted increased knowledge and better patient care but were mostly unaware of BayFoNet. Patients rated their participation capabilities as very good, though some struggled to set clear goals before the interventions.
Investigators found that increased awareness of PBRNs promoted a lively network. Targeted dissemination strategies and participation opportunities improved trial feasibility and motivation in general practice.
Source: bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-025-02744-x
