scholarly journals ‘We do not seem to engage with dentists’: a qualitative study of primary healthcare staff and patients in the North East of England on the role of pharmacists in oral healthcare

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. e032261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Sturrock ◽  
Philip M Preshaw ◽  
Catherine Hayes ◽  
Scott Wilkes
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
General Practice ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Healthcare Staff ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Specific Patient ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Health Advice

ObjectiveTo explore the attitudes towards, and perceptions of, primary care healthcare staff and patients, regarding the role of clinical pharmacists in the provision of oral health advice and collaboration with dentists in general practice.DesignInterpretivist methodology using qualitative semi-structured interviews and focus groups.Participants22 participants; 10 pharmacists; 3 general practitioners; 2 nurses; 1 practice manager; 6 patients.SettingPrimary care general medical practices in the North East of England and the University of Sunderland Patient Carer and Public Involvement group.MethodsOne-to-one semi-structured interviews were performed with primary care healthcare staff. An iterative approach using constant comparative analysis facilitated the ongoing enrichment of data; salient themes were identified using Framework Analysis and related back to extant literature. A focus group was held with patients to further explore key themes.ResultsFour salient and inter-related themes emerged: enhanced clinical roles; indicating rapidly changing roles of pharmacists working in general practice, increased responsibility and accountability of pharmacist prescribers and the delivery of advanced clinical services; limited knowledge; indicating basic understanding of appropriate oral health advice, but limited insight and provision of advice to patients with regards to links with systemic diseases and medication; geographical/situational isolation of the dental team; indicating the disparate contexts and challenges of multidisciplinary working in oral health, and patients’ attitudes towards dental care; integration of oral health advice; indicating the potential of pharmacists to integrate oral health advice into current roles and to target specific patient groups in practice.ConclusionsThe lack of integration between oral and general healthcare services potentially impacts negatively on patient care, requiring further interprofessional oral health education. The developing role of the pharmacist in general practice represents an opportunity to integrate oral health advice and/or interventions into the management of patients in this setting.

scholarly journals Experiences of support from primary care and perceived needs of parents bereaved by suicide: a qualitative study

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (691) ◽  
pp. e102-e110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Verity Wainwright ◽  
Lis Cordingley ◽  
Carolyn A Chew-Graham ◽  
Nav Kapur ◽  
Jenny Shaw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
General Practice ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Support Needs ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Perceived Needs ◽  
The North ◽  
Suicide Bereavement ◽  
Additional Support ◽  
The Uk

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.

Student paramedics' views on placements in general practice as part of a degree

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 519-525
Author(s):  
Alyesha Proctor
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
General Practice ◽  
Care Pathway ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Alternative Care ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Uk ◽  
University Degree

Background: Frontline paramedics are increasingly attending to non-emergency problems and calls that could be managed by a primary care provider. Alongside this, there is a growing pressure to manage patients at home or use an alternative care pathway and reduce hospital conveyance. Student paramedic training, including both placement and taught elements at university, should therefore reflect this. However, placement opportunities for student paramedics in primary care settings is variable across the UK. Aim: To explore student paramedics' views on incorporating a placement within general practice as part of their degree and its effects on their learning and development as an autonomous paramedic. Method: A small pedagogic study as part of a postgraduate certificate in academic practice for higher education, involving a case study, qualitative approach using face-to-face, semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, was carried out. Findings: Student paramedics feel that incorporating a placement in general practice as part of their degree will significantly help in their learning and development as autonomous paramedics. Specifically, they feel it: will help them understand the role of the GP and what the GP expects of them; will help them to focus their assessments and improve confidence in decisions not to convey patients; may lead to better knowledge of alternative care pathways; and, finally, may provide an insight into the role of the paramedic in general practice as a future career opportunity. There are a few reservations about whether students would be able to use the skills and knowledge gained in this setting, as they feel they do not have access to the tools or the authority in a frontline ambulance service. Students would prefer to have a placement in a GP surgery in the final year of their university degree. Conclusion: Placement within a GP surgery for student paramedics should be included as part of a paramedic science degree as a priority. This is necessary, particularly given the changing role of the contemporary paramedic who attends to non-emergency problems.

scholarly journals Combating childhood obesity

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 464-472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence Achilles Nnyanzi
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Primary Care Trust ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Weight Category ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Weight Problems ◽  
Correct Weight ◽  
The Impact

The aim of this study was to explore the reactions of children aged 10–11 years towards being weighed and measured and subsequently told their correct weight as part of the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP). The study was undertaken in primary schools in a Primary Care Trust (PCT) in the North East of England, UK. One-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted post-NCMP measurement (and the feedback) with a sample of 21 children, aged 10–11 years, conveniently sampled from the primary schools in the PCT. Findings from the study indicate that the NCMP, especially the weight feedback letter caused annoyance, panic and worry among children who were indicated to have weight problems and oversensitised all children about weight issues, regardless of their weight category. The NCMP is a potentially useful ‘wake-up call’ to the fact that something needs to be done for children identified to be overweight or obese but needs to be delivered with a sensitivity to the impact of the news on the child.

A general practice provider federation in a mixed health economy in England: a case study investigation

2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. bjgp18X696929
Author(s):  
Jill Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
General Practice ◽  
Shared Vision ◽  
Health Economy ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The North ◽  
Common Strategy ◽  
Common Purpose ◽  
Collaborative Working ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundThere is an emerging debate that general practice in its current format is out-dated and there is a requirement to move to a federated model of provision where groups of Practices come together. The emergence of federations has developed over the past 5 years but the factors that influence how federations develop and the impact of this new model is an under researched area.AimThe study explored the rationale around why a group of independent GP practices opted to pursue an alternative business venture and the benefits that this strategy offered.MethodA single organisational case study of a federation in the North of England was conducted between 2011–2016. Mixed methods data collection included individual and group semi-structured interviews and quantitative surveys.ResultsFederations promote collaborative working, relying on strategic coherence of multiple individual GP practices through a shared vision and common purpose. Findings revealed many complexities in implementing a common strategy across multiple independent businesses. The ability of the federation to gain legitimacy was two dimensional – externally and internally. The venture had mixed successes, but their approach to quality improvement proved innovative and demonstrated outcomes on a population basis. The study identified significant pressures that practices were experiencing and the need to seek alternative ways of working but there was no shared vision or inclination to relinquish individual practice autonomy.ConclusionOrganisational development support is critical to reform General Practice. Whether central funding through the GP Five Year Forward View will achieve the scale of change required is yet to be evidenced.

scholarly journals Magnetic Survey at the Roman Military Camp of el Benian in Mauretania Tingitana (Morocco): Results and Implications

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 28
Author(s):  
Francesco Martorella
Keyword(s):  
Roman Empire ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Geophysical Survey ◽  
Magnetic Survey ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Military Camp ◽  
Building Activity ◽  
Economic Studies

The topic of military settlements and the role of troops in the northern provinces of North Africa during the age of the Roman Empire has recently gained a strong interest in historical, archaeological, epigraphical, and economic studies. In particular, at Mauretania Tingitana (in the north-east area of modern-day Morocco), the presence of numerous military camps in the Early and Later Roman Empire has now been assessed. In this framework, the present work deals with the geophysical survey, by means of magnetometry, at the site of el Benian, where the largest military camp is located. In particular, the magnetic survey has highlighted the organization of the camp, almost totally unknown previously. The result of the magnetic survey has confirmed intense building activity over the centuries and made it possible to identify and characterize the structures typical of a military field.

scholarly journals Preventing and Managing Urinary Tract Infections: Enhancing the Role of Community Pharmacists—A Mixed Methods Study

Antibiotics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Peiffer-Smadja ◽  
Rosalie Allison ◽  
Leah F. Jones ◽  
Alison Holmes ◽  
Parvesh Patel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Urinary Tract ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Urinary Symptoms ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Specific Patient ◽  
Tract Infections

Background: Community pharmacists are involved in antimicrobial stewardship through self-care advice and delivering medications for uncomplicated infections. Objectives: This mixed methods study aimed to identify opportunities to enhance the role of community pharmacists in the management of service users with suspected or confirmed urinary tract infection (UTI). Methods: Data collection was through a service user survey (n = 51) and pharmacist surveys and semi-structured interviews before (16 interviews, 22 questionnaires) and after (15 interviews, 16 questionnaires) trialing UTI leaflets designed to be shared with service users. Data were analysed inductively using thematic analysis and descriptive tabulation of quantitative data. Results: Twenty-five percent (n = 13/51) of service users with urinary symptoms sought help from a pharmacist first and 65% (n = 33/51) were comfortable discussing their urinary symptoms with a pharmacist in a private space. Community pharmacists were confident as the first professional contact for service users with uncomplicated UTI (n = 13/16, 81%), but indicated the lack of a specific patient referral pathway (n = 16/16, 100%), the need for additional funding and staff (n = 10/16, 62%), and the importance of developing prescription options for pharmacists (5/16, 31%). All community pharmacists reported playing a daily role in controlling antimicrobial resistance by educating service users about viral and bacterial infections and promoting a healthy lifestyle. Enhancing their role will need greater integrated working with general practices and more prescribers based in community pharmacy. Conclusion: This study suggests that community pharmacists could play a greater role in the management of uncomplicated UTI. The current reconfiguration of primary care in England with primary care networks and integrated care systems could provide a real opportunity for this collaborative working with potential learning for international initiatives.

Next steps for student supervision and assessment

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (10) ◽  
pp. 496-500
Author(s):  
Shaun Heath
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
General Practice ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Student Nurses ◽  
Education Standards ◽  
Student Placement ◽  
Practice Nurses ◽  
Primary Care Settings ◽  
Student Supervision

Student nurses are the future of the profession. Shaun Heath explains how changes to the Nursing and Midwifery Council's education standards will effect those currently acting as mentors and how all practice nurses can get involved and contribute to student placement experiences This article explores the Nursing and Midwifery Council's 2018 education standards and how these will affect the role of general practice nurses in primary care settings. The differing roles found in the standards will be discussed, alongside how primary care and the emerging Primary Care Networks can support learners in general practice through communities of practice.

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