scholarly journals Challenges facing the More Doctors program (Programa Mais Médicos) in vulnerable and peri-urban areas in Greater Brasilia, Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Helena Eri Shimizu ◽  
Leonor Maria Pacheco Santos ◽  
Mauro Niskier Sanchez ◽  
Thomas Hone ◽  
Christopher Millett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health System ◽  
Social Constructivism ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Foreign Doctors

Abstract Background A shortage of physicians, especially in vulnerable and peri-urban areas, is a global phenomenon that has serious implications for health systems, demanding policies to assure the provision and retention of health workers. The aim of this study was to analyze the strategies employed by the More Doctors Program (Programa Mais Médicos) to provide primary care physicians in vulnerable and peri-urban parts of Greater Brasilia. Methods The study used a qualitative approach based on the precepts of social constructivism. Forty-nine semi-structured interviews were conducted: 24 with physicians employed as part of the More Doctors program, five with program medical supervisors, seven with secondary care physicians, twelve with primary care coordinators, and one federal administrator. The interviews occurred between March and September 2019. The transcripts of the interviews were submitted to thematic content analysis. Results The partnership between the Ministry of Health and local authorities was essential for the provision of doctors—especially foreign doctors, most from Cuba, to assist vulnerable population groups previously without access to the health system. There was a notable presence of doctors with experience working with socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, which was important for gaining a better understanding of the effects of the endemic urban violence in the region. The incentives and other institutional support, such as enhanced salaries, training, and housing, transportation, and food allowances, were factors that helped provide a satisfactory working environment. However, the poor state of the infrastructure at some of the primary care units and limitations of the health service as a whole were factors that hampered the provision of comprehensive care, constituting a cause of dissatisfaction. Conclusions More Doctors introduced a range of novel strategies that helped ensure a supply of primary care doctors in vulnerable and peri-urban parts of Greater Brasilia. The inclusion of foreign doctors, most from Cuba, was crucial for the success of the health services provided for the local communities, who subsist in violent and socioeconomically deprived urban areas. However, it became clear that barriers from within the health service itself hampered the physicians’ capacity to provide a satisfactory service. As such, what is needed for primary care to be effective is not just the recruitment, training, and deployment of doctors, but also investment in the organization of the whole health system.

Innovative mobile-health led Participatory Approach to Comprehensive Screening and Treatment of Diabetes (IMPACT Diabetes): Rationale, Design and Baseline Characteristics (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhinav Bassi ◽  
Sumaiya Arfin ◽  
Oommen John ◽  
Devarsetty Praveen ◽  
Varun Arora ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Blood Glucose ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Community Health Workers ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
System Level ◽  
Elevated Blood

BACKGROUND India has 66 million people with diabetes, of which a large proportion do not receive adequate care. The Primary Health Centres across rural and urban areas serve as platforms for continuum of care and early detection of diabetes in the population. The untapped potential of frontline health care workforce can act as a means to bridge the gaps of service demands. OBJECTIVE We aim to develop and evaluate a technology-enabled system-level intervention based around the community health workers [Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA)] and primary-care physicians, and mobile tablet-based clinical decision support system to improve the identification and management of individuals with diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in primary care settings in India. METHODS A cluster-randomized trial in sixteen villages/peri-urban areas in Andhra Pradesh and Haryana will test the preliminary effectiveness of this intervention. An independent evaluation will compare the difference in the proportion of participants with diabetes having a 0.5% reduction in HBA1c (measured at baseline and end-line) in intervention and usual-care arm. Qualitative interviews of physicians, ASHA, and community members will ascertain the intervention acceptability and feasibility. RESULTS A total of 1785 adults over 30 years (females: 53.2%; median age: 50 years) were screened. ASHAs achieved 100% completeness of data for all anthropometric, blood-pressure, and blood-glucose measures. At baseline, 63% of the participants were overweight/obese, 27.8% had elevated blood-pressure, 20.3% were at high-risk for CVD, and 21.3% had elevated blood-glucose. Half of the individuals with diabetes were newly diagnosed. CONCLUSIONS Transfers of simple clinical procedures from physicians to non-physician health workers, with the help of technology, can support the provision of healthcare in under-served communities. The preliminary findings suggest that community health workers can successfully screen and refer patients with diabetes and/or CVD to physicians in the Indian primary healthcare system. The proposed model can be adapted for larger trial sand tested for other commonly prevalent disease conditions. CLINICALTRIAL REF/2016/05/011275

scholarly journals Understanding the clinical reasoning processes involved in the management of multimorbidity in an ambulatory setting: study protocol of a stimulated recall research

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M.-C. Audétat ◽  
S. Cairo Notari ◽  
J. Sader ◽  
C. Ritz ◽  
T. Fassier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Clinical Reasoning ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Video Sequence ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Ambulatory Setting ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Stimulated Recall ◽  
Study Results

Abstract Background Primary care physicians are at the very heart of managing patients suffering from multimorbidity. However, several studies have highlighted that some physicians feel ill-equipped to manage these kinds of complex clinical situations. Few studies are available on the clinical reasoning processes at play during the long-term management and follow-up of patients suffering from multimorbidity. This study aims to contribute to a better understanding on how the clinical reasoning of primary care physicians is affected during follow-up consultations with these patients. Methods A qualitative research project based on semi-structured interviews with primary care physicians in an ambulatory setting will be carried out, using the video stimulated recall interview method. Participants will be filmed in their work environment during a standard consultation with a patient suffering from multimorbidity using a “button camera” (small camera) which will be pinned to their white coat. The recording will be used in a following semi-structured interview with physicians and the research team to instigate a stimulated recall. Stimulated recall is a research method that allows the investigation of cognitive processes by inviting participants to recall their concurrent thinking during an event when prompted by a video sequence recall. During this interview, participants will be prompted by different video sequence and asked to discuss them; the aim will be to encourage them to make their clinical reasoning processes explicit. Fifteen to twenty interviews are planned to reach data saturation. The interviews will be transcribed verbatim and data will be analysed according to a standard content analysis, using deductive and inductive approaches. Conclusion Study results will contribute to the scientific community’s overall understanding of clinical reasoning. This will subsequently allow future generation of primary care physicians to have access to more adequate trainings to manage patients suffering from multimorbidity in their practice. As a result, this will improve the quality of the patient’s care and treatments.

scholarly journals Administrative Work and Job Role Beliefs in Primary Care Physicians: An Analysis of Semi-Structured Interviews

SAGE Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824401989909
Author(s):  
Eric Apaydin
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Job Roles ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Administrative Work ◽  
Job Role ◽  
The Relationship

Primary care physicians face increasing amounts of administrative work (e.g., entering notes into electronic health records, managing insurance issues, delivering test results, etc.) outside of face-to-face patient visits. The objective of this study is to qualitatively describe the experience that primary care physicians have with administrative work, with an emphasis on their beliefs about their job role. I conducted semi-structured interviews with 28 family physicians and internists in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Miami and qualitatively analyzed themes from interview transcripts using the grounded theory approach. Two major themes concerning the relationship between primary care physicians and administrative work were discovered: (a) Administrative work was not central to primary care physicians’ job role beliefs, and (b) “below license” work should be delegated to nonphysicians. Job roles should be considered in future efforts to reduce physician administrative work in primary care.

scholarly journals Investigating information-seeking behaviors of primary care physicians who care for older depressed patients and their family caregivers: a pilot study

2005 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Jo Dorsey ◽  
Ellen Detlefsen
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Care Physician ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Depressed Patients ◽  
Types Of Information ◽  
Primary Care Practices ◽  
Information Seeking Behaviors

Objective – To describe preliminary findings from a study of information-seeking behaviors of primary care physicians who care for elderly and depressed patients, and the correlation between what is sought versus what is provided to the patient and (or) caregiver. Setting – Physicians in two large ambulatory primary care practices throughout urban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who take care of geriatric patients. Methods – Structured interviews, with common questions, will be conducted with 12 primary care physicians to determine patterns of information-seeking behaviors. Environmental scans of physicians' offices for evidence of their existing information behaviors will complement the information obtained from the interviews. Results – This pilot study provides an analysis of the resources primary care physicians use to seek information to provide to patients and caregivers. Analyses show types of information sought, time spent seeking information, and methods used to find information given to patients. Conclusions – With mounting evidence of the Internet being used for patient self care, it is essential to understand if primary care physicians understand the scope and breadth of information readily available to their patients. The primary care physician needs to be aware of the types of information made available to their patients and the caregivers who are inclined to obtain information for the patient.

scholarly journals The Differences in the Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease, Its Risk Factors, and Achievement of Therapeutic Goals among Urban and Rural Primary Care Patients in Poland: Results from the LIPIDOGRAM 2015 Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (23) ◽  
pp. 5656
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Studziński ◽  
Tomasz Tomasik ◽  
Adam Windak ◽  
Maciej Banach ◽  
Ewa Wójtowicz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Primary Care Patient ◽  
Care Patient ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Therapeutic Goals ◽  
Rural Primary Care

A nationwide cross-sectional study, LIPIDOGRAM2015, was carried out in Poland in the years 2015 and 2016. A total of 438 primary care physicians enrolled 13,724 adult patients that sought medical care in primary health care practices. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, and CVD were similar in urban and rural areas (49.5 vs. 49.4%; 13.7 vs. 13.1%; 84.2 vs. 85.2%; 14.4 vs. 14.2%, respectively). The prevalence of obesity (32.3 vs. 37.5%, p < 0.01) and excessive waist circumference (77.5 vs. 80.7%, p < 0.01), as well as abdominal obesity (p = 43.2 vs. 46.4%, p < 0.01), were higher in rural areas in both genders. Mean levels of LDL-C (128 vs. 130 mg/dL, p = 0.04) and non-HDL-C (147 vs. 148 mg/dL, p = 0.03) were slightly higher in rural populations. Altogether, 14.3% of patients with CVD from urban areas and 11.3% from rural areas reached LDL <70 mg/dL (p = 0.04). There were no important differences in the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, and CVD, or in mean levels of blood pressure, cholesterol fractions, glucose, and HbA1c between Polish urban and rural primary care patient populations. A high proportion of patients in cities and an even-higher proportion in rural areas did not reach the recommended targets for blood pressure, LDL-C, and HbA1c, indicating the need for novel CVD-prevention programs.

Physicians’ accounts of frontline tensions when implementing pilot projects to improve primary care

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Mansfield ◽  
Onil Bhattacharyya ◽  
Jennifer Christian ◽  
Gary Naglie ◽  
Vicky Steriopoulos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Models Of Care ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Pilot Projects ◽  
Additional Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Canada’s primary care system has been described as “a culture of pilot projects” with little evidence of converting successful initiatives into funded, permanent programs or sharing project outcomes and insights across jurisdictions. Health services pilot projects are advocated as an effective strategy for identifying promising models of care and building integrated care partnerships in local settings. In the qualitative study reported here, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the strengths and challenges of this approach. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 34 primary care physicians who discussed their experiences as pilot project leads. Following thematic analysis methods, broad system issues were captured as well as individual project information. Findings While participants often portrayed themselves as advocates for vulnerable patients, mobilizing healthcare organizations and providers to support new models of care was discussed as challenging. Competition between local healthcare providers and initiatives could impact pilot project success. Participants also reported tensions between their clinical, project management and research roles with additional time demands and skill requirements interfering with the work of implementing and evaluating service innovations. Originality/value Study findings highlight the complexity of pilot project implementation, which encompasses physician commitment to addressing care for vulnerable populations through to the need for additional skill set requirements and the impact of local project environments. The current pilot project approach could be strengthened by including more multidisciplinary collaboration and providing infrastructure supports to enhance the design, implementation and evaluation of health services improvement initiatives.

Ethical Implications of Cultural Barriers to the Depression Diagnosis: Conversations with Primary Care Physicians

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (9) ◽  
pp. 683-701
Author(s):  
Diana Cagliero
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Ethical Implications

This article explores ethical issues raised by Primary Care Physicians (PCPs) when diagnosing depression and caring for cross-cultural patients. This study was conducted in three primary care clinics within a major metropolitan area in the Southeastern United States. The PCPs were from a variety of ethnocultural backgrounds including South Asian, Hispanic, East Asian and Caucasian. While medical education training and guidelines aim to teach physicians about the nuances of cross-cultural patient interaction, PCPs report that past experiences guide them in navigating cross-cultural conversations and patient care. In this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven PCPs which were transcribed and underwent thematic analysis to explore how patients’ cultural backgrounds and understanding of depression affected PCPs’ reasoning and diagnosing of depression in patients from different cultural backgrounds. Ethical issues that arose included: limiting treatment options, expressing a patient’s mental health diagnosis in a biomedical sense to reduce stigma, and somatization of mental health symptoms. Ethical implications, such as lack of autonomy, unnecessary testing, and the possible misuse of healthcare resources are discussed.

scholarly journals Effects of mindfulness training on perceived stress, self-compassion, and self-reflection of primary care physicians: a mixed-methods study

BJGP Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. bjgpopen18X101621 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herman van Wietmarschen ◽  
Bram Tjaden ◽  
Marja van Vliet ◽  
Marieke Battjes-Fries ◽  
Miek Jong
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Mindfulness Training ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
High Workload ◽  
Compassion Scale

BackgroundPrimary care physicians are subjected to a high workload, which can lead to stress and a high incidence of burnout. A mindfulness training course was developed and implemented for primary care physicians to better cope with stress and improve job functioning.AimTo gain insight into the effects of the mindfulness training on perceived stress, self-compassion, and self-reflection of primary care physicians.Design & settingA pragmatic mixed-methods pre–post design in which physicians received 8 weeks of mindfulness training.MethodParticipants completed validated questionnaires on perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale [PSS]), self-compassion (Self-Compassion Scale [SCS]), and self-reflection (Groningen Reflection Ability Scale [GRAS]) before the training, directly after, and 6 months later. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six participants after the training and a content analysis was performed to gain in depth understanding of experiences.ResultsA total of 54 physicians participated in the study. PSS was reduced (mean difference [MD] -4.5, P<0.001), SCS improved (MD = 0.5, P<0.001), and GRAS improved (MD = 3.3, P<0.001), directly after the 8-week training compared with before training. Six months later, PSS was still reduced (MD = -2.9, P = 0.025) and SCS improved (MD = 0.7, P<0.001). GRAS did not remain significant (MD = 2.5, P = 0.120). Qualitative analysis revealed four themes: being more aware of their own feelings and thoughts; being better able to accept situations; experiencing more peacefulness; and having more openness to the self and others.ConclusionMindfulness training might be an effective approach for improving stress resilience, self-compassion, and self-reflection in primary care physicians.

Variations in health services utilization by primary care patients

2002 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Bolaños-Carmona ◽  
Ricardo Ocaña-Riola ◽  
Alexandra Prados-Torres ◽  
Pilar Gutiérrez-Cuadra
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
Services Utilization ◽  
Care Groups ◽  
Physician Characteristics ◽  
Primary Care Patients

This study analyses how both ambulatory care groups (ACGs) and physician characteristics explain the variability in health-service use among primary care patients in Spain. During the period 1996-1997, data derived from 52 152 patients and their 38 respective primary care physicians were collected. The response variables were as follows: number of visits; diagnostic tests requested; and referrals to a specialist. ACGs are an important variable that should be taken into account in order to explain health-service utilization. As for professionals, age and the post they hold are essential factors. Most of the unexplained variability is caused by patient characteristics.

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