Articles: professional-practice.
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Modern general practice is characterised by increased demand and growing multidisciplinarity, including ring-fenced funding for additional non-clinical roles. For practice receptionists, however, training has remained unchanged for decades despite primary care being under greater pressure than ever, with receptionists becoming a growing focal point for abuse and unprecedented numbers leaving the role. ⋯ Although confident performing administrative tasks, receptionists described uncertainty and anxiety when providing clinically oriented support or managing patients when their requests for appointments could not be met. More appropriate training or professionalisation might improve staff retainment.
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Pubic hair removal (PHR) is a common practice, and many seek PHR from a skincare professional, or esthetician. Estheticians occupy a unique role in which they often have deep, trusting relationships and well-established rapport with their clientele, whereby they could serve as trusted providers of skin and beauty expertise, but also health promotion partners/facilitators. The purpose of this study is to explore the frequency of esthetician involvement regarding 7 potentially concerning health-related symptoms on their clients' skin and examine estheticians' comfort engaging in discussions about health, knowledge regarding these health issues, and interest in being more formally involved in their clients' health. ⋯ This is a prime opportunity to aid in the facilitation of estheticians directly improving health and well-being beyond the skin of their clients.
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Clinical coding allows for structured and standardised recording of patients' electronic healthcare records. How clinical and non-clinical staff in general practice approach clinical coding is poorly understood. ⋯ This study demonstrates the complexity of clinical coding in primary care. Clinical and non-clinical staff spoke of systems that lacked intuitiveness, and the challenges of multimorbidity and time pressures when coding in clinical situations. These challenges are likely to be exacerbated in socioeconomically deprived areas, leading to underreporting of disease in these areas. Challenges of clinical coding may lead to implications for data quality, particularly the validity of research findings generated from studies reliant on clinical coding from primary care. There are also consequences for patient care. Participants cared about coding quality and wanted a better way of using coding. There is a need to explore technological and non-technological solutions, such as artificial intelligence, training, and education to unburden people using clinical coding in primary care.
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Background General practice has a key role in reducing inequity in access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Unplanned pregnancy, abortion and STIs are increasing and disproportionately affects deprived communities and ethnic minority groups. The candidacy framework offers a practical, theoretical framework for understanding the complex interactional processes of access to SRH in general practice. ⋯ There are multiple barriers, which include the behaviours of healthcare professionals who have a crucial role in recognising an individual's SRH need. Conclusions General practice offers a cradle-to-grave healthcare service, which should have SRH as a priority area of provision. Further understanding is needed of the impact of historic harms by medicine and healthcare on racialised individuals and gender minorities.
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Health care leaders use interprofessional collaborative practice as a strategy to improve health outcomes, and they have stressed its importance in the education of primary care medical providers to apply public health concepts like the social determinants of health and community collaborations. Interprofessional education (IPE) prepares students from different professions for collaborative practice as they enter the health workforce by developing core competencies. Understanding the importance of IPE is vital toward improving person and client-centered care and population health outcomes. This study aims to evaluate IPE workshops' effects on participants' confidence in applying public health concepts to improve health outcomes and intention to collaborate with local resources. ⋯ Results point to the efficacy and value of IPE opportunities in the education of family medicine residents and MPH students. This study presents a viable and useful example of IPE integration between MPH students and family medicine residents. Understanding social determinants of health and the use of local resources to better the health of the community is vital for both groups.