[Prevention in general practice between evidence- and narrative-based medicine: squaring the circle?].

In the German healthcare system, general practitioners (GPs) play an important role with regard to individualised prevention, as they are often the first contact for patients seeking advice. Additionally, there is a great need for preventive counselling from the patient's perspective. However, there is no clear evidence for the effectiveness of the prevention programmes established in Germany. Future prevention models need to be developed according to evidence-based criteria. Narrative-based medicine is seen as a promising complementary approach to strengthen individualised prevention in primary care.