MUST (Multidisciplinary University Network for Primary Care Research in Regional Areas) is the national network dedicated to clinical research in primary care, accredited by F-CRIN. MUST aims to organize and coordinate national and international research projects by engaging primary care organizations that demonstrate expertise and active clinical research in primary care.
MUST, the clinical research network in primary care
The MUST national network was created in 2024 with the goal of encouraging initiatives and facilitating the implementation of multidisciplinary and collaborative clinical research projects in the field of primary care. It received the F-CRIN designation in September 2024.
MUST aims to organize and coordinate national and international research projects by bringing together research centers (MSPs, CDSs, and medical practices) that demonstrate expertise and engage in clinical research in primary care.
The network’s objectives are:
- To bring research as close as possible to the patient, by mobilizing and strengthening teams of primary care health professionals who provide daily patient care.
- Meeting patients’ needs through improved prevention of prevalent primary care conditions with a significant public health impact (chronic cardiovascular, respiratory, and psychiatric diseases, etc.).
- Bringing together healthcare teams engaged in primary care research and supporting them in carrying out national and international projects.
- Structure and develop research activities: optimizing existing practices and ensuring their quality.
- Train and raise awareness among professionals about primary care research and promote research integrated into daily practice.
- Collect data in primary care using the P4DP health data warehouse for primary care Platform for data in primary care https://www.p4dp.fr
Organization
The MUST network is coordinated by Prof. Julie Dupouy, a general practitioner in Pins-Justaret, a university professor in Toulouse, and vice president of the CNGE, and Cédric Rat, a general practitioner in Pornic, a university professor in Nantes, and a member of the CNGE’s research division.
Équipe de coordination du réseau MUST
MUST also consists of numerous centers with which the network collaborates closely. Find the updated list of centers on the network’s website: The F-CRIN | Must Coordination Teams
Scientific Expertise
Thanks to its organizational structure, the MUST network can provide support at every stage of a research project for all sponsors (academic or private).
Project Design and Production
- Scientific and methodological consulting
- Preparation of national and European funding proposals
- Drafting of study documents
- Support for project structuring
- Coordination of stakeholders
Feasibility / Trial Setup
- One-Stop Shop: Sponsor/Network Centers
- Identification of Centers
- Contract Management
- Management and Centralization of Feasibility Studies
- Management and centralization of CVs and BPCs
- Implementation of a recruitment strategy tailored to the study’s objectives and constraints
- Training of investigators
- Evaluation of budget templates
Trial Follow-up
- Harmonization of practices
- Regular monitoring of the trial’s progress with the lead clinical trial centers
- Monitoring recruitment trends, identifying issues, and implementing solutions
Promotion:
- Project Communication
- Publication Support
Current Projects
The network is currently involved in several multicenter studies aimed at advancing knowledge and clinical practice.
For more information on ongoing studies, see the list of activities on the network’s website: Clinical Studies | Must.
Contact the network
To learn more about the MUST network, visit their website: https://www.must-primarycareresearch.com/
You can also contact the network by sending an email to: must@cnge.fr
Network Partners
The CNGE
The National College of General Practitioner Educators (CNGE) is an association dedicated to the training and promotion of general practice as an academic and scientific discipline. Founded in 1983, the CNGE supports teaching, research in primary care, and the continuing professional development of general practitioners. It brings together more than 15,000 faculty members, researchers, and clinical instructors in general practice, encourages research, and collaborates with academic and healthcare institutions to standardize the training of future physicians. The CNGE also organizes scientific and educational events (such as the Annual Congress and the Primary Care Research Conference), training programs, and is involved in national and international research projects. The journal exercer, published by the CNGE, and its sister journal, the Family Academic Journal of Primary Care, are leading publications in general medicine.
