RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Safety netting in routine primary care consultations: an observational study using video-recorded UK consultations
JF British Journal of General Practice
JO Br J Gen Pract
FD British Journal of General Practice
SP e878
OP e886
DO 10.3399/bjgp19X706601
VO 69
IS 689
A1 Peter J Edwards
A1 Matthew J Ridd
A1 Emily Sanderson
A1 Rebecca K Barnes
YR 2019
UL http://bjgp.org/content/69/689/e878.abstract
AB Background Safety-netting advice is information shared with a patient or their carer designed to help them identify the need to seek further medical help if their condition fails to improve, changes, or if they have concerns about their health.Aim To assess when and how safety-netting advice is delivered in routine GP consultations.Design and setting This was an observational study using 318 recorded GP consultations with adult patients in the UK.Method A safety-netting coding tool was applied to all consultations. Logistic regression for the presence or absence of safety-netting advice was compared between patient, clinician, and problem variables.Results A total of 390 episodes of safety-netting advice were observed in 205/318 (64.5%) consultations for 257/555 (46.3%) problems. Most advice was initiated by the GP (94.9%) and delivered in the treatment planning (52.1%) or closing (31.5%) consultation phases. Specific advice was delivered in almost half (47.2%) of episodes. Safety-netting advice was more likely to be present for problems that were acute (odds ratio [OR] 2.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.30 to 3.64), assessed first in the consultation (OR 2.94, 95% CI = 1.85 to 4.68) or assessed by GPs aged ≤49 years (OR 2.56, 95% CI = 1.45 to 4.51). Safety-netting advice was documented for only 109/242 (45.0%) problems.Conclusion GPs appear to commonly give safety-netting advice, but the contingencies or actions required on the patient’s part may not always be specific or documented. The likelihood of safety-netting advice being delivered may vary according to characteristics of the problem or the GP. How to assess safety-netting outcomes in terms of patient benefits and harms does warrant further exploration.