Family practice
-
There is an acknowledged gap between research findings and their implementation in clinical practice despite the existence of effective educational interventions. ⋯ In order to bridge the gap between research and practice, educators need to address the various 'barriers to change' amongst practitioners.
-
Modern palliative care promotes open communication between doctor and patient, which includes access to information about prognosis. GPs play a major role in managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients in the final stages of illness. Their views of discussions of prognosis are therefore important if the principles of palliative care are to be extended to COPD. ⋯ Although the majority of GPs acknowledged a need to discuss prognosis in severe COPD, this was not reflected in their reported behaviour. It appears that the palliative care approach of open communication, whilst seen to be relevant to severe COPD, is not applied routinely in managing the disease in primary care. Uncertainty among GPs as to how patients view the discussion of prognosis and inadequate preparation may pose potential barriers.
-
Previous studies have suggested that the attitudes of health professionals towards people with disability may be as negative as those of society. Further, even positive attitudes may not always be reflected in the health professional's behaviour. ⋯ The critical incident technique was found to be a useful tool to gain access into this complex and problematic area and the results raise many issues pertinent to the planning of learning opportunities for both undergraduates and postgraduates.