European general practice research workshop (EGPRW). Is international cooperation worth while?

General practice is a novice in the academic world. We need to stand together both nationally and internationally to establish general practice as a true academical discipline. To strengthen our credibility we have to do research of high quality. European General Practice Research Workshop (EGPRW) is a partly unformal international body with the aim "to encourage research, to foster and coordinate multinational studies, to exchange experiences and with it develop a validated international scientific base for general practice". The group was established November 1974 and the activities during its short existence are summarised and commented.