SASPREN -- a new development in family practice research in South Africa

Research in the family practice setting can make unique contributions to our understanding of health, illness, and disease at the level of the individual patient as well as the population. In November 1990 a family practice research network (SASPREN) was established in South Africa. The network consists of sentinel practitioners who have volunteered to provide information on patients seen in their practices. This article describes the development of the network, focusing particularly on its accomplishments in the first 3 years. It is hoped that SASPREN will help overcome some of the obstacles to research encountered by family doctors and ultimately improve the care of patients in the community.