Abstract

Purpose

Clinical research in primary care is relatively scarce. Practice-based research networks (PBRNs) are research infrastructures to overcome hurdles associated with conducting studies in primary care. In Norway, almost all 5.4 million inhabitants have access to a general practitioner (GP) through a patient-list system. This gives opportunity for a PBRN with reliable information about the general population. The aim of the current paper is to describe the establishment, organization and function of PraksisNett (the Norwegian Primary Care Research Network).

Materials and Methods

We describe the development, funding and logistics of PraksisNett as a nationwide PBRN.

Results

PraksisNett received funding from the Research Council of Norway for an establishment period of five years (2018–2022). It is comprised of two parts; a human infrastructure (employees, including academic GPs) organized as four regional nodes and a coordinating node and an IT infrastructure comprised by the Snow system in conjunction with the Medrave M4 system. The core of the infrastructure is the 92 general practices that are contractually linked to PraksisNett. These include 492 GPs, serving almost 520,000 patients. Practices were recruited during 2019–2020 and comprise a representative mix of rural and urban settings spread throughout all regions of Norway.

Conclusion

Norway has established a nationwide PBRN to reduce hurdles for conducting clinical studies in primary care. Improved infrastructure for clinical studies in primary care is expected to increase the attractiveness for studies on the management of disorders and diseases in primary care and facilitate international research collaboration. This will benefit both patients, GPs and society in terms of improved quality of care.

    Key points
  • Practice-based research networks (PBRNs) are research infrastructures to overcome hurdles associated with conducting studies in primary care

  • Improved infrastructure for clinical studies in primary care is expected to increase the attractiveness for studies on the management of disorders and diseases in primary care and facilitate international research collaboration

  • We describe PraksisNett, a Norwegian PBRN consisting of 92 general practices including 492 GPs, serving almost 520,000 patients

  • An advanced and secure IT infrastructure connects the general practices to PraksisNett and makes it possible to identify and recruit patients in a novel way, as well as reuse clinical data

  • PraksisNett will benefit both patients, GPs and society in terms of improved quality of care

  • This paper may inform and inspire initiatives to establish PBRNs elsewhere

Details

Title
The Norwegian PraksisNett: a nationwide practice-based research network with a novel IT infrastructure
Author
Kristoffersen, Espen Saxhaug 1 ; Bjorvatn, Bjørn 2 ; Halvorsen, Peder Andreas 3 ; Nilsen, Stein 4 ; Guro Haugen Fossum 1 ; Fors, Egil A 5 ; Jørgensen, Pål 5 ; Øxnevad-Gundersen, Berit 2 ; Gjelstad, Svein 6 ; Bellika, Johan Gustav 7 ; Straand, Jørund 8 ; Rørtveit, Guri 2 

 Department of General Practice, HELSAM, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Research Unit for General Practice, Department of General Practice, HELSAM, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway 
 Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway 
 Department of Community Medicine, UiT – the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway 
 Research Unit for General Practice, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, Bergen, Norway 
 Research Unit for General Practice, Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway 
 Medrave Software AS, Tønsberg, Norway 
 Norwegian Centre for E-health Research, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway 
 Research Unit for General Practice, Department of General Practice, HELSAM, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway 
Pages
217-226
Publication year
2022
Publication date
Jun 2022
Publisher
Taylor & Francis LLC
ISSN
02813432
e-ISSN
15027724
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2942019405
Copyright
© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.