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Network of general practitioners of the VUmc

Objectives

The academic network of general practitioners of the VU university medical centre (ANH-Vumc) was funded in 2003. The ANH-Vumc is the academic workplace of the department of general practice in which GP’s, teachers and researchers work together to improve the quality of primary care. To obtain this goal the network contributes to research, the innovation of care and education. The integration of these academic functions in GP practices is a unique characteristic of the academic practices as well as the continuous registration of data for the benefit of research and benchmarking. The department of general practice, and therefore the GP’s of the network, contributes to all research programs within the EMGO institute.

Collaborations

The GP’s within the ANH-Vumc are scientifically educated and therefore capable to discuss research projects with researchers of the EMGO institute. The GP’s deliver research questions, have expertise how to conduct research in their practices and are experienced in implementing research results in daily practice. The academic GP’s register information in their electronic patient record systems according to agreements we made within the network. These data are collected in a anonymous longitudinal database. This database is used for bench marking and facilitates all academic functions of the network (e.g. research, innovation of care and education)

The ANH-Vumc works on academic care innovation. This means that we undertake innovation projects that have not formerly been carried out. We follow the plan-do-check-act cycle and evaluate the project scientifically. We intent to actively pass on positive outcomes to other GP’s outside the network. Every network practice collaborates with either the vocational training institute for GP’s or the medical faculty. They offer training facilities for students and work together with the department on the innovation of education.

Results

Research projects to which the academic GP’s contributed in 2008 were, among other projects, CERTAIN[1], CC-DIP[2], FAME[3], di@log[4] and the Belly Pain project[5]. Within the network we developed a research project on fore foot problems. Aim of the project is to compare the treatment by podiatrists with a standardised advice about shoes and foot care by the GP. Within this project we work together with the GP research network of the University of Keele, UK. We obtained funding for this project from Zon-MW.

In December 2008 the ANH-Vumc celebrated it’s fifth anniversary. On that same occasion the network was audited by the national committee of academic GP networks. This audit was carried out using the INK-management model. In the self assessment the following subjects were addressed: organisation, HRM, management of registration, research, education and innovation of care, and a self evaluation. The committee was impressed by the quality and honesty of the self assessment and the output the network had accomplished in the first five years of it’s existence. The ANH-Vumc should approve the tuning with the rest of the GP network of department of general practice and should focus on academic task in the practice of every day.
[1] CERTAIN: Care Education and Research Testing Academic practices In Networks.
[2] CC-DIP: collaborative care – depression in elderly people
[3] FAME: family meetings for informal caregivers of patient with dementia
[4] Dialog: self set up with insulin by patients with type 2 diabetes using an internet program.
[5] Belly Pain: diagnostics in non acute belly pain in general practice; a decision model.

Contact information

S. Grol, email: s.grol@vumc.nl