First contact with General Practitioners (GPs) was established through the Heelsum Collaboration network on Nutrition in General Practice. In collaboration with representatives from this network, a research protocol was developed containing representatives of the target group and an interview guideline for identifying current knowledge, perceived roles and responsibilities, specific demands for content and communication channels and willingness to interact or collaborate with NuGO. Several experts outside the NuGO community were consulted and provided their input. The structure of GPs organisations at the European and worldwide level was documented.

During the 2006 international conference of the World Organization of National Colleges, Academies and Academic Associations of General Practitioners (WONCA), 15 individual interviews were conducted. Interviews were held with six key opinion formers: representatives of WONCA Europe and WONCA worldwide, the European Network for Prevention and Health Promotion in Family Medicine and General Practice EUROPREV and the European Academy of Teachers in General Practice (EURACT). Also, 9 GPs from European countries and Australia were interviewed.

Research in collaboration with GPs

Ideally, studies should be performed in collaboration with GPs that can play a role in selecting participants. A GP can also play a significant role in the follow up and monitoring of patients, providing valuable information as well as in implementing results of the study; assessing efficacy of the interventions. GPs need to be included in early stages of the research, otherwise implementation will be hindered. Such collaborative research is until now only performed with pharmaceutical companies.

The traditional way of working of most GPs often leads to a critical view towards innovations. However, experience has learned that such a critical view is often preferred because of the unknown side-effects of innovative medicine and advice. Being a GP means putting the patient central, avoid creating anxiety among healthy people. Their protective attitude is to protect the patients.

Perceived concerns relate to the high costs of testing, medicalization of food and ‘promises that can not be followed through’. A critical view is also held towards the initiation of innovative nutrition research that is perceived as not being initiated from the patients needs. What patients will actually do with the information about genes and health is also a topic of concern. Many problems with nutrition are caused by social and economic factors and will probably not be addressed.

A large concern is the general attitude of many GPs towards the role of nutrition advice in general practice. The basic rules of healthy eating are already not often provided by GPs to patients in need of nutrition advice. A lack of time but certainly also a lack of interest, knowledge and skills are often heard causes. A lack of knowledge of GP’s is recognised, especially when patients confront GPs with information about innovations. The need for GPs to become more aware of and educated in innovative nutrition research is recognised.

Suggested actions for NuGO to be taken in 2007 are an editorial in the WONCA journal about nutrigenomics and – genetics and the applicability in the GP’s practice, state of the art information about the scientific progress via the NuGO website and a workshop at the European and world WONCA congress. The EUROPREV platform can also be used to disseminate information and activities. A strong plead is made for specific information about what GP’s can actually do with information that will result from nutrigenomics and –genetics in their own practice.