BackgroundThe current GP workforce is insufficient to manage rising demand in patient care within the out-of-hours (OOH) primary care services. To meet this challenge, non-medical practitioners (NMPs) are employed to fulfil tasks traditionally carried out by GPs. It is important to learn from experiences of task-shifting in this setting to inform optimal delivery of care.AimTo synthesise qualitative evidence of experiences of task-shifting in the OOH primary care setting.Design & settingSystematic review of qualitative studies and thematic synthesisMethodElectronic searches were conducted across CINAHL, PsychInfo, Cochrane, Medline, Embase, and OpenGrey for qualitative studies of urgent or OOH primary care services, utilising task-shifting or role delegation. Included articles were quality appraised and key findings collated through thematic synthesis.Results2497 studies were screened, six met the inclusion criteria. These included interviews with 15 Advanced Nurse Practitioners, 3 Physician Assistants, 2 paramedics, and a focus group of 22 GPs and focus groups with 33 nurses. Key findings highlight the importance of clearly defining and communicating the scope of practice of NMPs and of building their confidence by appropriate training, support and mentoring.ConclusionsWhilst NMPs may have the potential to make a substantial contribution to OOH primary care services, there has been very little research on experiences of task-shifting. Evidence to date highlights the need for further training specific to OOH services. Mentorship and support to manage the sometimes-challenging cases presenting to OOH could enable more effective OOH services and better patient care.
What can primary care services do to help First Nations people with unhealthy alcohol use? A systematic review: Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada
