TY - JOUR T1 - Using patient records for medical research JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 630 LP - 631 VL - 56 IS - 529 AU - Graham Watt Y1 - 2006/08/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/56/529/630.abstract N2 - The recent UK Academy of Medical Sciences report Personal data for public good: using health information for medical research1 addressed several issues concerning uses of patient data for medical research, which are important for general practice.2The primary concern of GPs, with respect to uses of patient records, is to do nothing that jeopardises the trust of patients, which is partly based on assurances of confidentiality concerning the content of consultations. The Academy report quotes one submission in response to its call for evidence: ‘When people go to their doctor or health professional, they are seeking treatment because they are unwell, and not to become subjects of research.’1Nevertheless, research is an important part of health care. To provide effective and equitable care for 100% of the population, the NHS needs research and intelligence based on 100% of the population, which is generally only available from studies of patient records. Many important research questions can only be addressed by combining data from large numbers of practices.Increasingly, such data are becoming available, and will need to be used imaginatively and effectively if primary care is to be recognised and supported in its capacity as a … ER -