PHARMO's General Practitioner Database (GPD)

The general practitioner (GP) database is a longitudinal observational database that contains data from computer-based patient records of GPs throughout the Netherlands. Collaborating practices are located throughout the Netherlands and patients from the collaborating GPs are comparable to patients from other GPs in the country based on age and gender.

The GP database currently includes about 1.5 million patients. This is the cumulative amount of patients who have ever been part of the dynamic cohort of patients who were registered since 2001. Turnover occurs as patients move and transfer to new practices. The records of ‘transferred out’ patients remain in the database and are available for retrospective studies with the appropriate time periods.

The following (clinical) information is captured in this database: demographic data (age, sex, patient identification, GP registration information), diagnoses, physician-linked indications for therapy, co-morbidity, drug prescriptions, laboratory values (e.g. potassium, creatinine, HbA1c), and referrals to specialists. Diagnoses, complaints and symptoms are recorded based on the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) (which can be mapped to ICD-9-CM codes), but can also be entered as free text. Prescription data include product name, quantity dispensed, dosage regimens, strength and indication. Although not all specialist prescriptions are included in the GP data, links can be made to the out-patient pharmacy database for this (and other) information.

Please contact us (pharmo@pharmo.nl) for more detailed information regarding the opportunities of the GP database regarding your interest.