Practice and research: seeking common ground to benefit people

Abstract

A long-standing challenge for primary care has been its conflicted relationship with research and science. The evolution of primary care can be marked by the increasing collaboration between community practitioners and biomedical researchers. Since their inception in 1995,(1) The Heelsum International Workshops have represented a dialogue between primary care clinicians and nutrition- oriented researchers. This issue of Family Practice reports the proceedings of the 2010 6th Workshop, which demonstrate this evolving dialogue and better define the role of research in supporting the care of people in communities.