Updating of a Knowledge Agenda using an innovative online methodology directly involving General Practitioners combined with a invitational conference
Inês RODRIGUES, Ana ANA VERISSIMO and Inês INÊS MORAIS
Since the first Knowledge Agenda was published, new challenges and gaps have emerged, creating the need for an updated agenda. To ensure future research meets the knowledge needs of general practitioners, the Dutch College of General Practitioners (NHG) has systematically revised the agenda in close collaboration with GPs.Its goal is to strengthen and support general practice in the XXX.The NHG identified knowledge gaps by formulating research questions based on 90 general practice guidelines. In addition, both individual GP’s and health care stakeholders (networks and organisations) were invited to submit current knowledge questions addressing clinical and organisational issues. Clinical questions, those that arise in a individual consultation were prioritized only by GP’s through an innovative online survey method measuring the relative preference of items. This Maximum-Difference (MaxDiff-) analysis asked GPs to repeatedly choose the best and worst option from a random set of 5 items. Broader organizational questions, those that arise before and after consultations were prioritized during an invitational conference with stakeholder actively shaping the future of general practice through research or policy. Many of these stakeholders also combine their roles with practicing as GP.In total, 848 research questions were identified; 115 originated from practicing GP’s. After analysis 253 clinical questions and 151 organizational questions were prioritised. In total 455 GP’s responded to the MaxDiff-method and 38 of the 50 stakeholders in the invitational conference were general practitioners. The prioritization process resulted in a top 50 list of clinical knowledge gaps and a top 30 list of organizational knowledge gaps. Form the 80 knowledge gaps 25 originated from individual GP’s. Most knowledge gaps addressed Digital care (n=13), Cardiovascular disease (n=10), Collaboration (n=8), Personal care (7) and Respiratory system (n=6).In 2025, the updated XXX National Research Agenda for General Practice was published. The agenda was developed in close collaboration with many practicising GPs ensuring broad support and the process is easily copied.This agenda serves as a strategic tool for researchers and research funders to focus on the most relevant and pressing knowledge gaps while avoiding duplication.
