scholarly journals Perceptions of the uses of routine general practice data beyond individual care in England: a qualitative study

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e019378 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Wyatt ◽  
Jenny Cook ◽  
Christopher McKevitt

ObjectiveTo investigate how different lay and professional groups perceive and understand the use of routinely collected general practice patient data for research, public health, service evaluation and commissioning.Design, method, participants and settingWe conducted a multimethod, qualitative study. This entailed participant observation of the design and delivery of a series of deliberative engagement events about a local patient database made of routine primary care data. We also completed semistructured interviews with key professionals involved in the database. Qualitative data were thematically analysed. The research took place in an inner city borough in England.ResultsOf the community groups who participated in the six engagement events (111 individual citizens), five were health focused. It was difficult to recruit other types of organisations. Participants supported the uses of the database, but it was unclear how well they understood its scope and purpose. They had concerns about transparency, security and the potential misuse of data. Overall, they were more focused on the need for immediate investment in primary care capacity than data infrastructures to improve future health. The 10 interviewed professionals identified the purpose of the database in different ways, according to their interests. They emphasised the promise of the database as a resource in health research in its own right and in linking it to other datasets.ConclusionsFindings demonstrate positivity to the uses of this local database, but a disconnect between the long-term purposes of the database and participants’ short-term priorities for healthcare quality. Varying understandings of the database and the potential for it to be used in multiple different ways in the future cement a need for systematic and routine public engagement to develop and maintain public awareness. Problems recruiting community groups signal a need to consider how we engage wider audiences more effectively.

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghan Bourque ◽  
Tony Foley

Background: General Practitioners (GPs) play a central role in caring for people with dementia. There is a growing demand for GP-led community-based dementia care, as advocated in the Irish National Dementia Strategy (INDS). However, there is a paucity of research exploring GPs' views on dementia care since publication of the INDS. The aim of this qualitative study is to develop a deeper understanding of how to improve the quality of dementia care in General Practice, explored from the perspective of Irish GPs.Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with GPs. GPs who completed the “Dementia in Primary Care” CPD module at University College Cork in Ireland were purposively recruited. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by thematic analysis.Results: 12 interviews were conducted with 7 female and 5 male participants. Experience in General Practice ranged from 3 to 32 years. Most GPs practiced in mixed urban-rural settings (n = 9) and had nursing home commitments (n = 8). The average interview length was 45 minutes. Six major themes emerged from the data set, including resourcing primary care, addressing disparities in secondary care, community-centered care as patient-centered care, linking a dementia network, universal access to care, and raising public awareness.Conclusion: GPs find dementia care to be a complex and challenging aspect of primary care. While education and training is advocated by GPs, service delivery must be reconfigured. This will necessitate adequate financial resourcing and the restructuring of community-based dementia care services.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 173
Author(s):  
Shiva Vasi ◽  
Jenny Advocat ◽  
Akuh Adaji ◽  
Grant Russell

Structured, multidisciplinary approaches to chronic disease management (CDM) in primary care, supported by eHealth tools, show improved clinical outcomes, yet the uptake of eHealth tools remains low. The adoption of cdmNet, an eHealth tool for chronic disease management, in general practice settings, was explored. This was a qualitative case study in three general practice clinics in Melbourne, Australia. Methods included non-participant observation, reflexive note taking and semi-structured interviews with GPs, non-GP clinical staff, administrative staff and patients with chronic conditions. Data were analysed iteratively and results were reviewed at regular team meetings. Findings highlighted the significance of clinical and organisational routines in determining practice readiness for embedding innovations. In particular, clinical routines that supported a structured approach to CDM involving team-based care, allocation of resources, training and leadership were fundamental to facilitating the adoption of the eHealth tool. Non-GP roles were found to be key in developing routines that facilitated the adoption of cdmNet within a structured approach to CDM. Practice managers, administrators and clinicians should first focus on routinising processes in primary care practices that support structured and team-based processes for CDM because without these processes, new technologies will not be embedded.


2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (691) ◽  
pp. e102-e110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Verity Wainwright ◽  
Lis Cordingley ◽  
Carolyn A Chew-Graham ◽  
Nav Kapur ◽  
Jenny Shaw ◽  
...  

BackgroundPeople bereaved by suicide are a vulnerable group, also at risk of dying by suicide. The importance of postvention support (intervention after suicide) has recently been highlighted; however, little is known about the support needs of parents bereaved by suicide in the UK, and the role played by general practice.AimTo explore the perspectives, experiences, and support needs of parents bereaved by suicide.Design and settingThis was a qualitative study, with semi-structured interviews conducted between 2012 and 2014 in the north of England and the Midlands, with parents bereaved by their son or daughter’s suicide.MethodInterviews explored parents’ experiences of suicide bereavement following the death of their son or daughter, with a focus on their experiences of support from primary care. Interviews were analysed thematically using constant comparison.ResultsTwenty-three interviews were conducted. Three themes were identified from the data: the importance of not feeling alone; perceived barriers to accessing support; and the need for signposting for additional support. Some parents reported having experienced good support from their general practice; others described a number of barriers to accessing help, including triage processes. Primary care was considered to be an important avenue of support but GPs were often perceived as uncertain how to respond. The need for information, signposting to avenues of support, and the helpfulness of group support were also highlighted.ConclusionParents believed it was important that people working in general practice have an awareness of suicide bereavement and understanding of their needs, including knowledge of where to direct people for further support.


2015 ◽  
Vol 101 (4) ◽  
pp. 333-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Montgomery-Taylor ◽  
Mando Watson ◽  
Robert Klaber

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of an integrated child health system.DesignMixed methods service evaluation.Setting and patientsChildren, young people and their families registered in Child Health General Practitioner (GP) Hubs where groups of GP practices come together to form ‘hubs’.InterventionsHospital paediatricians and GPs participating in joint clinics and multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings in GP practices, a component of an ‘Inside-Out’ change known as ‘Connecting Care For Children (CC4C)’.Main outcome measuresCases seen in clinic or discussed at MDT meetings and their follow-up needs. Hospital Episode data: outpatient and inpatient activity and A&E attendance. Patient-reported experience measures and professionals’ feedback.ResultsIn one hub, 39% of new patient hospital appointments were avoided altogether and a further 42% of appointments were shifted from hospital to GP practice. In addition, there was a 19% decrease in sub-specialty referrals, a 17% reduction in admissions and a 22% decrease in A&E attenders. Smaller hubs running at lower capacity in early stages of implementation had less impact on hospital activity. Patients preferred appointments at the GP practice, gained increased confidence in taking their child to the GP and all respondents said they would recommend the service to family and friends. Professionals valued the improvement in knowledge and learning and, most significantly, the development of trust and collaboration.ConclusionsChild Health GP Hubs increase the connections between secondary and primary care, reduce secondary care usage and receive high patient satisfaction ratings while providing learning for professionals.


2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (685) ◽  
pp. e578-e585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Spooner ◽  
Louise Laverty ◽  
Kath Checkland

BackgroundThe capacity of the UK GP workforce has not kept pace with increasing primary care workloads. Although many doctors successfully complete GP specialty training programmes, some do not progress to work in NHS general practice.AimThis article explores the training experiences and perceptions of newly qualified GPs to understand how their education, training, and early experiences of work influence their career plans.Design and settingA qualitative study of doctors in their final year of GP training (ST3) and within 5 years of completion of GP training (F5).MethodParticipants across England were recruited through training programmes, First5 groups, and publicity using social media and networks. Open narrative interviews were conducted with individuals and focus groups. Audiorecorded interviews were transcribed, and a thematic analysis was supported by NVivo and situational analysis mapping techniques.ResultsFifteen participants engaged in individual interviews and 10 focus groups were carried out with a total of 63 participants. Most doctors reported that training programmes had prepared them to deal confidently with most aspects of routine clinical GP work. However, they felt underprepared for the additional roles of running a practice and in their understanding of wider NHS organisational structures. Doctors wished to avoid unacceptably heavy workloads and voiced concerns about the longer-term sustainability of general practice.ConclusionStrategies to attract and retain enough GPs to support delivery of comprehensive primary care should consider how doctors’ early career experiences influence their career intentions. A coherent plan is needed to improve their preparation and increase confidence that they can achieve a professionally satisfying, effective, and sustainable career in NHS general practice.


2016 ◽  
Vol 66 (649) ◽  
pp. e540-e551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Sinnige ◽  
Joke C Korevaar ◽  
Jan van Lieshout ◽  
Gert P Westert ◽  
François G Schellevis ◽  
...  

BJGP Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. BJGPO.2021.0108
Author(s):  
David N Blane ◽  
Sara MacDonald ◽  
Catherine A O'Donnell

BackgroundIt is estimated that nearly 600,000 cancer cases in the UK could have been avoided in the last five years if people had healthier lifestyles, with the principle modifiable risk factors being smoking, obesity, alcohol consumption and inactivity. There is growing interest in the use of cancer risk information in general practice to encourage lifestyle modification.AimTo explore the views and experiences of patients and practitioners in relation to cancer prevention and cancer risk discussions in general practice.Design & settingQualitative study among patient and practitioners in general practices in Glasgow, UK.MethodSemi-structured interviews were conducted with nine practitioners (5 GPs and four practice nurses, recruited purposively from practices based on list size and deprivation status) and 13 patients (aged 30–60, with two or more specified co-morbidities).ResultsCurrently, cancer risk discussions focus on smoking and cancer, with links between alcohol/obesity and cancer rarely made. There was support for the use of the personalised cancer risk tool as an additional resource in primary care. Practitioners felt practice nurses were best placed to use it. Use in planned appointments (eg, chronic disease reviews) was preferred over opportunistic use. Concerns were expressed, however, about generating anxiety, time constraints, and widening inequalities.ConclusionsHealth behaviour change is complex and the provision of information alone is unlikely to have significant effects. Personalised risk tools may have a role, but important concerns about their use – particularly in areas of socio-economic disadvantage – remain.


BJGP Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. BJGPO.2021.0109
Author(s):  
Azwa Shamsuddin ◽  
Mark Jeffries ◽  
Aziz Sheikh ◽  
Libby Laing ◽  
Nde-Eshimuni Salema ◽  
...  

BackgroundWhilst the use of prescribing safety indicators (PSI) can reduce potentially hazardous prescribing, there is a need to identify actionable strategies for the successful implementation and sustainable delivery of PSI-based interventions in general practice.AimTo identify strategies for the successful implementation and sustainable use of PSI-based interventions in routine primary care.Design & settingQualitative study in primary care settings across England.MethodAnchoring on a complex pharmacist-led IT-based intervention (PINCER) and clinical decision support (CDS) for prescribing and medicines management, we conducted a qualitative study using sequential, multiple methods which comprised of documentary analysis, semi-structured interviews and online workshops to identify challenges and possible solutions to the longer-term sustainability of PINCER and CDS. Thematic analysis was used for the documentary analysis and stakeholder workshops, whilst template analysis was used for the semi-structured interviews. Findings across the three methods were synthesised using the RE-AIM framework.ResultsWe analysed 48 documents, undertook 27 interviews and two workshops involving 20 participants. Five main issues were identified, which aligned with the adoption and maintenance dimensions of RE-AIM: fitting into current context (adoption); engaging hearts and minds (maintenance); building resilience (maintenance); achieving engagement with secondary care (maintenance); and emphasising complementarity (maintenance).ConclusionsExtending ownership of prescribing safety beyond primary care-based pharmacists and achieving greater alignment between general practice and hospital prescribing safety initiatives is fundamental to achieve sustained impact of PSI-based interventions in primary care.


2022 ◽  
Vol 75 (suppl 1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda de Lucas Xavier Martins ◽  
Helena Maria Scherlowski Leal David ◽  
Fabiana Ferreira Koopmans ◽  
José Ramón Martínez-Riera

ABSTRACT Objective: to narrate the experience of facing a long economic and political crisis and the experience of the arrival process of the coronavirus pandemic in a Spanish healthcare center. Methods: this is a descriptive qualitative study with ethnographic analysis, with data collection through interviews, participant observation and field diary records. Results: the immersion in the context allowed us to identify two axes of domain: “The crisis, work in the community and the territory in Primary Care”; “The inevitability of being a nurse in facing a health crisis”. Final considerations: the narrative portrays the ethics in field research, tensions and values of nursing work in crisis situations. Nurses’ experiences are presented in narratives of dissatisfaction and difficulties, but with the support of values related to guaranteeing assistance to users and cooperation and solidarity in the collective organization of workers to face the COVID-19 crisis.


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