scholarly journals General practitioners’ perspectives on the prevention of cardiovascular disease: systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. e021137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Ju ◽  
Emily Banks ◽  
Bianca Calabria ◽  
Angela Ju ◽  
Jason Agostino ◽  
...  

ObjectiveCardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, and prevention of CVD is a public health priority. This paper aims to describe the perspectives of general practitioners (GPs) on the prevention of CVD across different contexts.DesignSystematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies using the Enhancing Transparency of Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative research (ENTREQ) framework.Data sourcesMEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO and CINAHL from database inception to April 2018.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesWe included qualitative studies on the perspectives of GPs on CVD prevention.Data extraction and synthesisWe used HyperRESEARCH to code the primary papers and identified themes.ResultsWe selected 34 studies involving 1223 participants across nine countries. We identified six themes: defining own primary role (duty to prescribe medication, refraining from risking patients’ lives, mediating between patients and specialists, delegating responsibility to patients, providing holistic care); trusting external expertise (depending on credible evidence and opinion, entrusting care to other health professionals, integrating into patient context); motivating behavioural change for prevention (highlighting tangible improvements, negotiating patient acceptance, enabling autonomy and empowerment, harnessing the power of fear, disappointment with futility of advice); recognising and accepting patient capacities (ascertaining patient’s drive for lifestyle change, conceding to ingrained habits, prioritising urgent comorbidities, tailoring to patient environment and literacy); avoiding overmedicalisation (averting long-term dependence on medications, preventing a false sense of security, minimising stress of sickness) and minimising economic burdens (avoiding unjustified costs to patients, delivering practice within budget, alleviating healthcare expenses).ConclusionsGPs sought to empower patients to prevent CVD, but consideration of patients’ individual factors was challenging. Community-based strategies for assessing CVD risk involving other health professionals, and decision aids that address the individuality of the patient’s health and environment, may support GPs in their decisions regarding CVD prevention.

BJGP Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. bjgpopen20X101087
Author(s):  
Olla Qadi ◽  
Nakawala Lufumpa ◽  
Nicola Adderley ◽  
Danai Bem ◽  
Tom Marshall ◽  
...  

BackgroundStatins and antihypertensive agents are recommended for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but they are not always prescribed to eligible patients.Design & settingA systematic review of qualitative studies.AimTo explore health professionals’ and patients’ attitudes towards cardiovascular preventive drugs.MethodMEDLINE, Embase, PsychINFO, CINAHL, ASSIA, HMIC, Conference Proceedings Citation Index, and Open Grey were searched for studies of qualitative design without restrictions on date or language. Two reviewers performed study selection, data extraction, quality assessment, and thematic synthesis.ResultsIn total, 2585 titles and abstracts were screened, yielding 27 studies, of which five met eligibility criteria on full text assessment. These included 62 patients and 47 health professionals. Five themes emerged about patient attitudes: questioning preventive drugs; perceived benefit and risks, such as improving quality of life; patient preferences; trust in health professional judgement; and family, friends, and media influences. Five themes emerged about health professional attitudes: addressing patient concerns and information; duty as a health professional to prescribe; uncertainty about preventive drug prescribing; recognising consequences of prescribing, such as unnecessary medicalisation; and personalised treatment.ConclusionThe attitudes of patients and health professionals regarding drug initiation for primary prevention reflect the complexity of the patient–health professional encounter in primary practice. For prescribing to be more adherent to guidelines, research should further investigate the patient–health professional relationship and the appropriate communication methods required when discussing drug initiation, specifically for primary prevention.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Schaia Rocha ◽  
Letícia Arima ◽  
Ana Cláudia Chibinski ◽  
Renata Iani Werneck ◽  
Samuel Jorge Moysés ◽  
...  

Some barriers to dental treatment during pregnancy are poorly understood, especially those related to psychosocial factors, which are better explored in qualitative studies. The aim of this systematic review was to explore the barriers and facilitators to dental care during pregnancy through a thematic synthesis of qualitative studies. Qualitative or mixed-methods studies published in English, Portuguese, Spanish and French, from 2000 to 2016, were included. The search strategies were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, LILACS, BBO and CINAHL. To evaluate the quality of the studies, we used the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. Thematic synthesis was performed in order to interpret and summarize the results. From 2,581 screened studies, ten were included in the synthesis. We found 14 analytical themes related to barriers and facilitators to dental care during pregnancy that interacted in complex ways: physiological conditions, low importance of oral health, negative stigma regarding dentistry, fear of/anxiety toward dental treatment, mobility and safety, financial barriers, employment, time constraints, social support, lack of information, health professionals’ barriers, family and friends’ advice, beliefs and myths about the safety of dental treatment. Myths and beliefs about oral health and dental treatment during pregnancy appear to be the most frequent barriers, both to pregnant women and to dentists or other health professionals. The findings of this review may support new studies, especially to test intervention protocols and to guide effective public policies for the promotion of oral health during pregnancy.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. e025587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olla Qadi ◽  
Tom Marshall ◽  
Nicola Adderley ◽  
Danai Bem

IntroductionLipid-lowering drugs and antihypertensive agents can be prescribed for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. In some cases, patients eligible for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease according to the European guidelines are not always started on preventive drugs. Existing research explores the attitudes of health professionals and patients towards cardiovascular preventive drugs but does not always differentiate between the attitudes towards drug initiation for primary or secondary prevention. We aim to systematically review qualitative studies assessing health professionals’ and patients’ attitudes and perceptions towards drug initiation for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.Methods and analysisMEDLINE, MEDLINE In Process, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, Conference Proceedings Citation Index (Web of Science), Healthcare Management Information Consortium, and Open Grey will be searched without restrictions on date or language of publication. Searches will be limited to studies of qualitative design, standalone or in the context of a mixed-method design, focusing on cardiovascular drug initiation for primary prevention. The primary outcome is the attitudes of health professionals and patients towards drug initiation for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Two reviewers will independently carry out the study selection, data extraction and quality assessment. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Qualitative Research Checklist will be used to assess the quality of included studies. The findings will be analysed using Thomas and Harden’s thematic synthesis approach.Ethics and disseminationThis systematic review does not require ethical approval as primary data will not be collected. The results of the study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at relevant conferences.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42018095346.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1280.2-1281
Author(s):  
A. M. T. Sweeney ◽  
C. Mccabe ◽  
C. Flurey ◽  
J. Robson ◽  
A. Berry ◽  
...  

Background:Nurse-led care has been shown to be clinically effective and cost effective in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but the role of the nurse in early RA is not well defined. Evidence for processes of care in RA is limited and it is not known how well rheumatology nurse-led clinics meet care needs of people with early RA.Objectives:The aim of this study was to develop an understanding of rheumatology nurse-led care from the perspective of people with early RA.Methods:A qualitative systematic review was conducted. The review protocol is published in the International prospective register of systematic reviews.In March 2019, the following databases were searched: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and OpenGrey. Due to lack of studies in early RA this review included adults with early and established inflammatory arthritis, qualitative studies with data on patients’ perspectives of nurse-led care, published in peer-reviewed journals in English between 2010 and 2019. Two reviewers screened titles, abstracts and full texts. Data were extracted and managed in tables. Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist was used for quality assessment of the included studies. A thematic synthesis was undertaken using the framework of Thomas and Harden.1Results:The search identified 1034 records. After screening and assessing for eligibility, 8 qualitative studies were included in the review (133 patients), 2 studies included people with early RA. Three main themes were identified (Figure 1).Figure 1.Themes of nurse-led care from the perspective of people with RAProviding knowledge and skill. This theme delineated rheumatology nursing as providing professional expertise in the planning and delivery of care. The rheumatology nurse-led service included easy access via telephone helpline, consultations with the clinical nurse specialist for assessment of disease activity and care needs, planning of care, disease information and education, supporting self-management, and referral to rheumatologist and the multi-disciplinary team. People with RA highly valued the nurse expertise and specialist knowledge provided at nurse-led clinics.‘She was very good at informing me, so I have only praise for this ... because I have never had it like this before’. (Person with early RA).Using a person-centred approach.This theme showed nurse-led care using a person-centred approach combined with empathy and good communication skills, which created a good therapeutic environment. People with RA appreciated the person-centeredness, empathy and involvement of the nurse. ‘She is very sensitive. She can see if I am feeling bad and comes straight to me and asks: “How are you today?” ...You are treated and taken seriously’. (Person with early RA).Meeting patients‘ care needs. This theme presented nurse-led care as creating a sense of being empowered and psychologically supported in the management of RA and its impact. Nurse-led care made people with RA feel cared for, secure and confident. It added value to rheumatology care and made care complete.‘The thought of sticking a needle into my own stomach... it felt a bit like I would never manage to do that. However, they have been absolutely wonderful here ... and now I can do it myself’. (Person with early RA).Conclusion:Nurse-led care for people with RA is characterised by provision of rheumatology expertise using a person-centred approach, and patients‘ holistic care needs are being met. This study found a dearth of literature on perceptions of nurse-led care in people with early RA, which highlights the need for further research in this population.References:[1]Thomas J, Harden A. Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews.BMC Med Res Methodol2008; 8: 45.Disclosure of Interests:Anne-Marie Tetsche Sweeney: None declared, Candy McCabe: None declared, Caroline Flurey: None declared, Joanna Robson: None declared, Alice Berry: None declared, Pamela Richards: None declared, Mwidimi Ndosi Grant/research support from: Bristol Myers Squibb, Consultant of: Janssen, Pfizer


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. e022259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Cohen ◽  
Rachael Gooberman-Hill

ObjectivesTo conduct a systematic review of qualitative studies which explore health professionals’ experiences of and perspectives on the enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathway.DesignSystematic review of qualitative literature using a qualitative content analysis. Literature includes the experiences and views of a wide range of multidisciplinary team and allied health professional staff, to incorporate a diverse range of clinical and professional perspectives.Data sourcesPsycINFO, Medline, CINAHL and PubMed were searched in May 2017.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesThe searches included relevant qualitative studies across a range of healthcare contexts. We included studies published from 2000 to 2017, as an appropriate time frame to capture evidence about ERAS after implementation in the late 1990s. Only studies published in the English language were included, and we included studies that explicitly stated that they used qualitative approaches.Data extraction and synthesisLiterature searches were conducted by the first author and checked by the second author: both contributed to the extraction and analysis of data. Studies identified as relevant were assessed for eligibility using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme guidance.ResultsEight studies were included in the review, including studies in six countries and in four surgical specialties. Included studies focus on health professionals’ experiences of ERAS before, during and after implementation in colorectal surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, abdominal hysterectomy and orthopaedics. Five main themes emerged in the analysis: communication and collaboration, resistance to change, role and significance of protocol-based care, and knowledge and expectations. Professionals described the importance of effective multidisciplinary team collaboration and communication, providing thorough education to staff and patients, and appointing a dedicated champion as means to implement and integrate ERAS pathways successfully. Evidence-based guidelines were thought to be useful for improvements to patient care by standardising practices and reducing treatment variations, but were thought to be too open to interpretation at local levels. Setting and managing ‘realistic’ expectations of staff was seen as a priority. Staff attitudes towards ERAS tend to become more favourable over time, as practices become successfully ‘normalised’. Strengths of the review are that it includes a wide range of different studies, a variety of clinical populations, diversity of methodological approaches and local contexts. Its limitation is the inclusion of a small number of studies, although these represent six countries and four surgical specialties, and so our findings are likely to be transferable.ConclusionsStaff feel positive about the implementation of ERAS, but find the process is complex and challenging. Challenges can be addressed by ensuring that multidisciplinary teams understand ERAS principles and guidelines, and communicate well with one another and with patients. Provision of comprehensive, coherent and locally relevant information to health professionals is helpful. Identifying and recruiting local ERAS champions is likely to improve the implementation and delivery of ERAS pathways.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42017059952


2020 ◽  
Vol 113 (5) ◽  
pp. 185-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Hodgson ◽  
Isabella Watts ◽  
Simon Fraser ◽  
Paul Roderick ◽  
Hajira Dambha-Miller

To conduct a systematic review and develop a conceptual framework on the mechanisms linking loneliness, social isolation, health outcomes and mortality. Electronic databases were systematically searched (PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus and EMBASE) from inception to October 2018 followed by manual searching to identify research on loneliness, social isolation and mortality in adults published in the English language. Articles were assessed for quality and synthesised into a conceptual framework using meta-ethnographical approaches. A total of 122 articles were included. These collated observational designs examining mediators and moderations of the association in addition to qualitative studies exploring potential mechanisms were included. A framework incorporating 18 discrete factors implicated in the association between loneliness, social isolation and mortality was developed. Factors were categorised into societal or individual, and sub-categorised into biological, behavioural and psychological. These findings emphasise the complex multidirectional relationship between loneliness, social isolation and mortality. Our conceptual framework may allow development of more holistic interventions, targeting many of the interdependent factors that contribute to poor outcomes for lonely and socially isolated people.


2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie Hartmann-Boyce ◽  
Anne-Marie Boylan ◽  
Susan A. Jebb ◽  
Paul Aveyard

The experience and role of self-monitoring in self-directed weight loss attempts may be distinctly different from that within formal interventions, and has yet to be fully explored. We systematically reviewed qualitative studies to examine experiences of self-monitoring as an aid to self-directed weight loss. Thematic synthesis was used to construct descriptive and analytical themes from the available data. In all, 22 studies (681 participants) were included, in which the uses of self-monitoring ranged from an aid to increase adherence to a tool for facilitating analysis. Self-monitoring also influenced and was influenced by self-perception and emotions. Feelings of shame were linked with abandonment of efforts. Findings highlight the centrality of interpretation of self-monitored data, the implications this interpretation has on sense of self, and the impact of broader discourses. Explicitly framing self-monitoring as a positive tool with which to aid analysis may encourage helpful use of this technique.


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