Yonder: a diverse selection of primary care relevant research stories from beyond the mainstream biomedical literature
Social work students
Increasing numbers of patients have complex social needs that go beyond the traditional scope of generalist medical care. This has led to interest in exploring models for the integration of social work into GP services, which has been shown to improve various outcomes in pilot settings.
A recent Australian study sought to extend this by developing and evaluating a field placement curriculum for social work students in GP surgeries.1 They found that these placements help students to learn about medical terminology and working in health care, as well as developing core social work skills and knowledge. Likewise, participating GP surgeries gained useful information and resources, and some insight into social work practice. As ever, capacity and funding streams are the key limiting factors to this otherwise sensible idea.
Machine learning
Although much has been made of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support clinical diagnosis and management, there has been comparatively less attention given to methods of machine learning applied to the support and automation of administrative tasks in general practice. This, therefore, became the topic of a recent Danish scoping review, which identified only 12 relevant studies.2
Their findings suggest that, while there is a great need and high potential for using such methods, the current lack of a significant body of research is likely the result of an unavailability of open-source and standardised data sources as well as a general prioritisation of diagnostic-related tasks over administrative ones.
Mentoring
Given that long-term mentoring relationships are known to play an important part in providing students with positive role models, longitudinal GP clerkships have become an important part of medical curricula around the world.
A recent German study looked at students’ and GP mentors’ expectations, experiences, challenges, and ideas for improvement within these long-term mentoring relationships.3 They identified the following key points for improvement: 1) education of both teacher and mentors on the goals and benefits of mentoring; 2) intensified support for mentors; 3) structured initial contact between mentor and mentee; and 4) additional shared (teaching) time.
Urgent care centres
Health care is terrible for its use of obtuse abbreviations and a new one for me is non-life-threatening urgent conditions (NLTUCs). However, it did form the basis for a fascinating recent Australian study that sought to ‘determine which factors are associated with 6065 patient presentations with non-life-threatening urgent conditions to an after-hours general practice, an urgent care clinic, and an emergency department on Sundays in Southeast Queensland’.4
The study found that patient choice of destination depends on the ability of the service to manage their presentation, patient age, type of condition, postcodes lived away from the facility, availability of testing, and provision of treatments. Based on international models of urgent healthcare services in the UK, US, and New Zealand, and the results of this study, the authors suggest that Australian urgent care centres should have extended hours, walk-in availability, access to on-site radiology, ability to treat fractures and wounds, and staffing by medical practitioners able to manage these conditions. They also suggest that policymakers should consider setting a national standard for urgent care operations.
- © British Journal of General Practice 2023
