Randomised controlled trials in primary care: case study

Abstract

Although over 90% of patient contacts within the NHS occur in primary care, many of the interventions used in this setting remain unproved. The relevance of research undertaken in secondary or tertiary care to general practice is questionable, and more research based in primary care is needed. 2 Increasing research in primary care will inevitably increase demand for randomised controlled trials in this setting. Some of the trials will be of health service interventions (pragmatic trials), The difficulties experienced in doing randomised controlled trials in primary care have been reported We discuss some of the issues that must be considered when conducting and interpreting the results of trials in primary care using examples generated during a trial of the management of dyspepsia (box).