An Evidence-Based Approach to Building General Practitioner Research Engagement in South West London, UK
Joseph T. S. Low, Sapna Kurade, Thomas Herweijer, Helen Sheldon, Veline L’Esperance, Rachna Chowla, Sophie Lowry, George London, Natashia Hadley, Natasha Curran, Catherine Hefferman, Andrew WalkerIntroduction/Objectives
Primary care research is essential for improving healthcare quality, but General Practitioner (GP) engagement in research is low, particularly in South West London (SWL). This study aims to address this by collaboratively developing strategies to increase GP research engagement and improve patient access to participation.
Method
A three-phase, evidence-based collaborative process. Phase 1: A literature review to identify barriers, facilitators, and strategies supporting GP research engagement. Phase 2: Qualitative interviews with 19 GPs to explore experiences, motivations, challenges, and views on inclusion of underserved communities. These two phases informed material for Phase 3: a workshop involving key SWL stakeholders to collaboratively develop strategies with actionable steps.
Results
Research engagement was shaped by structural, motivational and relational factors. Key barriers included lack of protected time, funding, administrative support, poor information provision about studies and limited research support given to GPs. Facilitators included alignment with clinical priorities, research skills development, and supportive organisational networks. Four strategic areas emerged: increasing visibility and research culture; improving communication; building sustainable recruitment capacity; enhancing inclusion of underserved communities through community-embedded approaches.
Conclusion
An evidence-informed, collaborative process is suitable for understanding GP research engagement and developing locally relevant strategies to improve engagement and inclusive research participation.