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- Page navigation anchor for Effectiveness and perceptions of using templates in long-term condition reviews: a systematic synthesis of quantitative and qualitative studiesEffectiveness and perceptions of using templates in long-term condition reviews: a systematic synthesis of quantitative and qualitative studies
It was a pleasure to read this article by Morrisey et al1 which provided a balanced perspective on template-based consultations in the management of long-term conditions (LTCs). It is promising to see a study centered on improving primary care reviews of LTCs; an undoubtedly growing aspect of our healthcare system.
According to the Department of Health, treating LTCs accounted for 70% of all healthcare spending and 50% of GP appointments in the United Kingdom, highlighting how vital it is that we continue to improve and reform our treatment of the millions of patients living with LTCs. The 2020 NHS GP Survey found that, 60% of patients with LTCs felt inadequately supported to manage their condition, with 22% feeling completely unsupported, highlighting the room for improvement. The use of proformas promoted higher rates of documentations and staff felt more supported in their discussions. Nonetheless, this method was not faultless, as explored by the authors.
Morrisey et al shed light on patient and staff perceptions towards templates in addition to their influence on disease outcomes.1 Another intriguing perspective would be to investigate the effect on the GPs’ outlook towards their work. Prevalent sources of job stress among GPs are high workloads and paperwork.2 We question if adopting templates would only increase paperwork adding to this stress.
A thought-provoking quote by a...
Competing Interests: None declared.