BayFoNet – Bavarian research network for general practice
BayFoNet is a research network of general practices in the state of Bavaria that was established by four general practice institutes at universities in Würzburg, Munich (LMU and TUM) and Erlangen. A total of 240 GP practices collaborate as research partners within the network. Two randomized controlled trials in a general practice setting are currently planned, one to evaluate diagnostic pathways for acute urinary tract infections and the other, the implementation of an online self-management program for asthma. Furthermore, the feasibility and acceptance of trials in ambulatory care by both general practitioners and patients is being investigated.
Structural characteristics/Cooperation agreements
Study execution Munich Study Center (MSZ), Center for Clinical Trials (ZKS) Würzburg, Institute
for Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry (IKE-B) Würzburg
Infrastructure Reutlingen University (Faculty of Computer Science), DIFUTURE Data Integration for Future Medicine, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority (LGL), the TMF umbrella organization for networked medical research in Germany
Participation Regional associations for public participation and think tanks
Insurance fund AOK Bavaria
Physician organizations Bavarian Association of General Practitioners, Bavarian Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, Ja-Bay association of young specialists and specialists in training
Pilot projects
Pilot 1 Urinary Tract Infection
MicUTI – The effectiveness of point-of-care urine microscopy in confirming the diagnosis of uncomplicated urinary tract infections; cluster-randomized pilot study in 20 practices with 180 patients
Pilot 2 Asthma online training program
IMONEDA – Implementation of an online training program for asthma patients in family practices; cluster-randomized controlled trial in 20 practices with 100 patients
Process evaluation Cross-sectional analysis using qualitative and quantitative methods
Integration of further ongoing studies