[General practice research in Finland]

Researchers within our largest specialty, general practice, are above all interested in the contents and quality of their own work, organizing the work and treatment practices. Clinical research is conducted to a limited extent only. Primary health care is being studied in the universities and research institutes in a multidisciplinary manner, but only a small proportion of the authors of peer-reviewed studies are working in community health centers. The volume of research dealing with or being conducted within primary care is somewhat smaller in Finland than in the other Nordic countries, the Netherland or Great Britain. Research should be utilized much more actively than is being done today in the development of our primary health care.