Guidelines and treatment recommendations are usually based on the results of large clinical trials. Many studies have revealed a substantial gap between guidelines and treatment (evidence-performance gap) in daily practice especially in primary care. Reasons for this evidence-performance gap are manifold. Patients seen by general practitioners often differ with regard to disease severity and prevalence rates compared to the specialized care setting, which affects not only the usefulness of diagnostic tests but also the treatment approach. Health services research that considers the characteristics of the setting might help to optimize medical care. Barriers and facilitators for successful health services research in primary care will be discussed. 

Flyer Lecture Series Fall 2015: Professionalism and Governance in Primary Care