Using General Practice Data in Research (GP Data)

Opportunity

Over 80% of Australians see their GPs each year, making the information held in general practice the most comprehensive record of the health of all Australians. However, this information is used to a limited degree. Concerns amongst general practitioners (GPs) and patients about the protection of privacy and data misuse are frequently cited as reasons for the lack of use. There is also the challenge of legal and policy frameworks in Australia that are not well suited to the use of general practice data for research.

Project Objectives

The overall objective of this project is to answer the question ‘How can we enhance public confidence in the secondary use of general practice data for research purposes?’.

The first phase of the project investigated social and legal facilitators, barriers, and challenges to using general practice data for research. In the second phase, we are examining these ethical, legal, and social implications in more detail, using co-design and deliberative approaches, bringing together perspectives from community members, GPs, policymakers and regulators, practice managers, and Human Ethics Research Committees. Our findings will feed into the design of a best practice framework for the use of general practice data for research purposes in Australia and consumer training.

The outcome of this project will be policies, practices, and regulatory guidance to enhance the social, ethical, and legal acceptability of general practice data used for research.