WONCA SAR Working Party (WP) on Research Workshop held on 4th May 2024

Facilitators: Dr Abdul Jalil Khan, Dr Hina Jawaid, Dr Sankha Randenikumara

In order to provide high quality healthcare in low and middle-income countries, it is imperative to support general practitioners/family physicians in conducting research (capacity building). The aim of this workshop was to explore what participants already knew and seek ways to encourage their participation in primary care research.

1. Discuss the importance of research in Evidence Based Medicine in General Practice/ Family Medicine
2. Discuss basic concepts and foundation of research methodology and academic writing
3. Demonstrate ways to identify good research topic and search database for conducting good literature search
4. Explain research ethics in planning and conducting research

Following introduction to the WP, brief presentations were given by all the facilitators on the above learning objectives. Historical perspective on research ethics included mentioning of Nuremberg code, Belmont Report, Nazi experiments, and Declaration of Helsinki. The facilitators highlighted the fundamentals of research ethics. They emphasised that adhering to these principles are essential for protecting participants, maintaining integrity, avoiding harm, promoting equity and justice, respecting privacy and confidentiality, and ensuring compliance with regulations.

Different ways to develop research questions and how to fine-tune them were discussed. An understanding of the research process and basic steps to be taken when conducting studies on topics relevant and feasible in their day-to-day general practice was provided. Furthermore, this workshop touched upon the key considerations of authorship criteria too.

We shared the insights we gained about challenges in conducting research by family doctors in South Asia in a recent study. Our study findings showed that most primary care physicians recognise the value of research. However, obstacles such as a lack of mentorship, formal training, and financial support hinder their research efforts. A fruitful discussion was held regarding the motivating factors we identified which could be used to inspire more primary care physicians to engage in research.