Table 5 Summary

What was already known on the topic:

1. Primary palliative care is an emerging field.

2. Recruitment for palliative care research and for primary care research is a difficult process.

3. Web-based questionnaires can be used for research purposes.

4. In Belgium, health consumption data are available for research through the InterMutualistic Agency.

What this article added to our knowledge:

1. Data linkage of personalized web-based questionnaires data and individual health consumption data is possible in a secure way with respect for confidentiality issues.

2. Electronic data coding algorithms allow researchers to use individualized but coded health care data for assessment of complex interventions, while respecting the privacy of included patients.

3. IT solutions could partly reduce respondent burden in health care research.