The International Primary Care Network: purpose, methods, and policies.

The International Primary Care Network (IPCN), a consortium of practice based primary care research networks, including the Ambulatory Sentinel Practice Network (ASPN), is described. The purpose, methods, and policies are presented as an example of international networking to address problems of global concern in primary care. IPCN's experience with organizing a framework for collaboration and conducting a study of otitis media in nine countries suggests that efforts of this type are possible and may lead to new insights available only through international investigation.