[Research in the GP's practice is good for the health of all]

The Health Council of the Netherlands has issued a report on the importance of extramural medical research. More attention is needed for diseases with high prevalence or a high disease burden, and results from intramural research cannot always be extrapolated to the primary care setting. Scientific research is crucial for developing and evaluating primary health care, so all general practitioners (GPs) should at least open their practices to data collection for scientific research purposes. Additionally, researchers from departments of general practice, together with healthcare professionals, should develop research questions that are in line with observed knowledge gaps in general practice. It is also important that university medical centres actively support research in primary care. A national primary care research agenda could contribute to the promotion of GP participation in scientific research in daily practice.