scholarly journals Much to do with nothing: microsimulation study on time management in primary care

BMJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
pp. k4983 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanner J Caverly ◽  
Rodney A Hayward ◽  
James F Burke

Abstract Objective To investigate the credibility of claims that general practitioners lack time for shared decision making and preventive care. Design Monte Carlo microsimulation study. Setting Primary care, United States. Participants Sample of general practitioners (n=1000) representative of annual work hours and patient panel size (n=2000 patients) in the US, derived from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was the time needed to deliver shared decision making for highly recommended preventive interventions in relation to time available for preventive care—the prevention-time-space-deficit (ie, time-space needed by doctor exceeding the time-space available). Results On average, general practitioners have 29 minutes each workday to discuss preventive care services (just over two minutes for each clinic visit) with patients, but they need about 6.1 hours to complete shared decision making for preventive care. 100% of the study sample experienced a prevention-time-space-deficit (mean deficit 5.6 h/day) even given conservative (ie, absurdly wishful) time estimates for shared decision making. However, this time deficit could be easily overcome by reducing personal time and shifting gains to work tasks. For example, general practitioners could reduce the frequency of bathroom breaks to every other day and skip time with older children who don’t like them much anyway. Conclusions This study confirms a widely held suspicion that general practitioners waste valuable time on “personal care” activities. Primary care overlords, once informed about the extent of this vast reservoir of personal time, can start testing methods to “persuade” general practitioners to reallocate more personal time toward bulging clinical demands.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herul Holland Da Sa Neto ◽  
Ines Habfast-Robertson ◽  
Christina Hempel-Bruder ◽  
Marie-Anne Durand ◽  
Isabelle Jacot-Sadowski ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Smoking cessation is an essential part of preventing and reducing risk of smoking associated morbidity and mortality. However, there is often little time to discuss smoking cessation in primary care. Encounter decision aids, short, patient-facing decision aids used during clinic visits, optimize therapeutic education and increase interaction and the therapeutic alliance. Such a decision aid for smoking cessation could potentially improve counselling and increase the use of pharmacological treatments. OBJECTIVE We aimed to develop and test an electronic encounter decision aid (DA) that facilitates physician-patient interaction and shared decision making for smoking cessation in primary care. METHODS We developed a DA (howtoquit.ch) adapted from a paper version developed by our team in 2017 following user-centered design principles. The DA is a one page interactive website presenting and comparing medications for tobacco cessation and electronic cigarettes. Each smoking cessation medication has a drop down menu that presents additional information, a video demonstration, and prescribing information for physicians. To test the DA, a questionnaire was submitted to general practitioner residents of an academic general medicine department, five general practitioners, and five experts in the field of smoking cessation. The questionnaire consisted of 4 multiple-choice and 2 free text questions assessing the usability/acceptability of the DA, the acquisition of new knowledge for practitioners, the perceived utility in supporting shared decision making and patients' choices, perceived strengths and weaknesses and if they would recommend the tool to other clinicians. RESULTS Six residents, 3 general practitioners in private practice, and 2 tobacco cessation experts completed the questionnaire (n=11), and 4 additional experts provided open-text feedback. On the 11 questionnaires, the DA was rated as practical and intuitive (mean 4.6/5) and supported shared decision making (mean 4.4/5), as comparisons were readily possible. Inclusion of explanatory videos was seen as a bonus. Several changes were suggested like grouping together similar medications and adding a landing page to briefly explain the site. Changes were implemented according to the end users comments. CONCLUSIONS The overall assessment of the DA by a group of physicians and experts was positive. The ultimate objective is to have the tool deployed and easily accessible for all to use.


2021 ◽  
pp. jrheum.201615
Author(s):  
Julie Kahler ◽  
Ginnifer Mastarone ◽  
Rachel Matsumoto ◽  
Danielle ZuZero ◽  
Jacob Dougherty ◽  
...  

Objective Treatment guidelines for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) include a patient-centered approach and shared decision making which includes a discussion of patient goals. We describe the iterative early development of a structured goal elicitation tool to facilitate goal communication for persons with RA and their clinicians. Methods Tool development occurred in three phases: 1) clinician feedback on the initial prototype during a communication training session; 2) semi-structured interviews with RA patients; and 3) community stakeholder feedback on elements of the goal elicitation tool in a group setting and electronically. Feedback was dynamically incorporated into the tool. Results Clinicians (n=15) and patients (n=10) provided feedback on the tool prototypes. Clinicians preferred a shorter tool de-emphasizing goals outside of their perceived treatment domain or available resources, highlighted the benefits of the tool to facilitate conversation but raised concern regarding current constraints of the clinic visit. Patients endorsed the utility of such a tool to support agenda setting and prepare for a visit. Clinicians, patients, and community stakeholders reported the tool was useful but identified barriers to implementation that the tool could itself resolve. Conclusion A goal elicitation tool for persons with RA and their clinicians was iteratively developed with feedback from multiple stakeholders. The tool can provide a structured way to communicate patient goals within a clinic visit and help overcome reported barriers, such as time constraints. Incorporating a structured communication tool to enhance goal communication and foster shared decision making may lead to improved outcomes and higher quality care in RA.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Romero ◽  
Patrick Raue ◽  
Andrew Rasmussen

The shared decision-making (SDM) model is the optimal patient-centered approach to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities in primary care settings. This study examined decision-making preferences and the desire to be knowledgeable of health-related information of a multiheritage group of depressed older Latinx primary care patients. The primary aim was to determine differences in treatment preferences for both general medical conditions and depression and desire to be knowledgeable of health-related information between older Puerto Rican adults compared to older non-Puerto Rican Latinx adults. We also examined whether depression severity moderated those relationships. A sample of 178 older Latinx patients were assessed on measures of decision-making preferences, information-seeking desires, and depression severity. Regression models indicated depression severity moderated the relationship between Latinx heritage and decision-making preferences that relate to general medical decisions, but not depression treatment. Specifically, Puerto Ricans with high levels of depression preferred to be more active in making decisions related to general medical conditions compared to non-Puerto Rican patients who preferred less active involvement. There was no difference between groups at low levels of depression as both groups preferred to be similarly active in the decision-making process. This investigation adds to the literature by indicating between-group differences within a Latinx older adult sample regarding decision-making preferences and the desire to be informed of health-related information. Future research is needed to identify other sociocultural characteristics that contribute to this disparity between Latinx heritage groups in their desires to participate in the decision-making process with their primary care provider.


2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 298-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Hyde ◽  
Kate M. Dunn ◽  
Adele Higginbottom ◽  
Carolyn A. Chew-Graham

2013 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 268-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark W. Friedberg ◽  
Kristin Van Busum ◽  
Richard Wexler ◽  
Megan Bowen ◽  
Eric C. Schneider

2005 ◽  
Vol 96 (9) ◽  
pp. 1209-1210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne K. Steginga ◽  
Carole Pinnock ◽  
Claire Jackson ◽  
Tony Gianduzzo

2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 745-758 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell E. Glasgow

Background . Diabetes self-management presents a series of challenging tasks, and primary care, where the majority of cases of adult diabetes are treated, is hard-pressed to address these issues given competing demands. This article discusses how interactive media (IM) can be used to support diabetes self-management. Methods . Following a brief review of the literature, the 5 As framework for enhancing the effectiveness of health behavior counseling and the RE-AIM model for estimating and enhancing public health impact are used to frame discussion of the strengths and limitations of IM for diabetes shared decision making and self-management support. Results . Data and lessons learned from a series of randomized trials of IM for diabetes self-management education are summarized around 2 key issues. The first is enhancing patient engagement in decision making and includes enhancing user experience and engagement, improving quality of care, and promoting collaborative action planning and follow-up. The second is getting such resources into place and sustaining them in real-world primary care settings and involves enhancing participation at patient, clinician, and health care system levels and enhancing the generalizability of results. Conclusions . Key opportunities for IM to support diabetes self-management include assessment of information for shared decision making, assistance with problem-solving self-management challenges, and provision of follow-up support. A key current challenge is the linkage of IM supports to the rest of the patient’s care, and collection of cost-effectiveness data is a key need for future research.


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