Quality in primary care
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Patient-centred consulting is at the heart of modern medicine, and training programmes now routinely highlight a range of communication skills that enhance the doctor-patient relationship. The present pilot study focuses on the central role played by empathic skills in developing rapport and shared understanding, as captured in a new model developed by the authors. The specific aim of the study was to evaluate the potential of a short-term training programme using this model to improve rapport-related behaviour in general practitioner (GP) trainees. ⋯ The significant improvement in rapport-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviour after training, and the lack of any comparable change in the control group, gives some support to the suggestion that the module (and the model that underpinned it) may have triggered such an impact independent of ongoing experience or other educational activities.
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Quality in primary care · Jan 2009
Association between satisfaction and stress with aspects of job and practice management among primary care physicians.
Reforms introduced in the last decade in Italian general practice, have contributed to the changing role of primary care physicians (PCPs) within the Italian National Health Service, with potential difficulties adapting that may lead to job stress and dissatisfaction. The present study aims to compare job satisfaction and stress levels of PCPs working in primary healthcare teams (PHCTs) with those for practitioners operating in single ambulatory offices, and to assess potential associations with aspects of job and practice management. ⋯ Reform strategies aimed at improving the quality of care among PCPs needs to take into account the contextual determinants of physician satisfaction and stress, and should highlight programmes that might be pursued to improve the integration of PCPs within the Italian National Health System.
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Quality in primary care · Jan 2009
Participants' evaluation of a group-based organisational assessment tool in Danish general practice: the Maturity Matrix.
The Maturity Matrix is a group-based formative self-evaluation tool aimed at assessing the degree of organisational development in general practice and providing a starting point for local quality improvement. Earlier studies of the Maturity Matrix have shown that participants find the method a useful way of assessing their practice's organisational development. However, little is known about participants' views on the resulting efforts to implement intended changes. ⋯ Future attempts to improve the impact of the Maturity Matrix, and similar tools for quality improvement, could include: (a) attention to matters of variation caused by practice size, (b) systematic counselling on barriers to implementation and support to structure the change processes, (c) a commitment from participants that goes beyond participation in two-yearly assessments, and (d) an anchor person for each identified goal who takes on the responsibility for improvement in practice.