scholarly journals Public Attitudes Toward Guided Internet-Based Therapies: Web-Based Survey Study

10.2196/10735 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. e10735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Apolinário-Hagen ◽  
Mathias Harrer ◽  
Fanny Kählke ◽  
Lara Fritsche ◽  
Christel Salewski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Internet Interventions ◽  
Treatment Implementation

Background Internet interventions have been proposed to improve the accessibility and use of evidence-based psychological treatments. However, little is known about attitudes toward such treatments, which can be an important barrier to their use. Objective This study aimed to (1) determine attitudes toward guided internet interventions, (2) assess its acceptability compared with other internet-based formats, and (3) explore predictors of acceptance. Methods A convenience-sample Web-based survey (N=646) assessed attitudes toward guided internet therapies (ie, perceived usefulness and helpfulness, and advantage relative to face-to-face therapy), preferences for delivery modes (ie, e-preference: guided internet interventions, unguided internet interventions, or videoconferencing psychotherapy), and potential predictors of attitudes and preferences: sociodemographics, help-seeking–related variables, attachment style, and perceived stress. Results Although most participants perceived internet interventions as useful or helpful (426/646, 65.9%), a few indicated their advantage relative to face-to-face therapy (56/646, 8.7%). Most participants preferred guided internet interventions (252/646, 39.0%) over videoconferencing psychotherapy (147/646, 22.8%), unguided internet interventions (124/646, 19.2%), and not using internet interventions (121/646, 18.8%; missing data: 1/646, 0.2%). Attachment avoidance and stress were related to e-preference (all P<.05). Moreover, preference for therapist-guided internet interventions was higher for individuals who were aware of internet-based treatment (χ26=12.8; P=.046). Conclusions Participants assessed therapist-guided internet interventions as helpful, but not equivalent to face-to-face therapies. The vast majority (523/646, 81.0%) of the participants were potentially willing to use internet-based approaches. In lieu of providing patients with only one specific low-intensity treatment, implementation concepts should offer several options, including guided internet interventions, but not limited to them. Conversely, our results also indicate that efforts should focus on increasing public knowledge about internet interventions, including information about their effectiveness, to promote acceptance and uptake.

scholarly journals Public Attitudes Toward Guided Internet-Based Therapies: Web-Based Survey Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Apolinário-Hagen ◽  
Mathias Harrer ◽  
Fanny Kählke ◽  
Lara Fritsche ◽  
Christel Salewski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Internet Interventions ◽  
Treatment Implementation

BACKGROUND Internet interventions have been proposed to improve the accessibility and use of evidence-based psychological treatments. However, little is known about attitudes toward such treatments, which can be an important barrier to their use. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to (1) determine attitudes toward guided internet interventions, (2) assess its acceptability compared with other internet-based formats, and (3) explore predictors of acceptance. METHODS A convenience-sample Web-based survey (N=646) assessed attitudes toward guided internet therapies (ie, perceived usefulness and helpfulness, and advantage relative to face-to-face therapy), preferences for delivery modes (ie, e-preference: guided internet interventions, unguided internet interventions, or videoconferencing psychotherapy), and potential predictors of attitudes and preferences: sociodemographics, help-seeking–related variables, attachment style, and perceived stress. RESULTS Although most participants perceived internet interventions as useful or helpful (426/646, 65.9%), a few indicated their advantage relative to face-to-face therapy (56/646, 8.7%). Most participants preferred guided internet interventions (252/646, 39.0%) over videoconferencing psychotherapy (147/646, 22.8%), unguided internet interventions (124/646, 19.2%), and not using internet interventions (121/646, 18.8%; missing data: 1/646, 0.2%). Attachment avoidance and stress were related to e-preference (all P<.05). Moreover, preference for therapist-guided internet interventions was higher for individuals who were aware of internet-based treatment (χ26=12.8; P=.046). CONCLUSIONS Participants assessed therapist-guided internet interventions as helpful, but not equivalent to face-to-face therapies. The vast majority (523/646, 81.0%) of the participants were potentially willing to use internet-based approaches. In lieu of providing patients with only one specific low-intensity treatment, implementation concepts should offer several options, including guided internet interventions, but not limited to them. Conversely, our results also indicate that efforts should focus on increasing public knowledge about internet interventions, including information about their effectiveness, to promote acceptance and uptake.

scholarly journals General practice trainee strategies for seeking in-consultation assistance from supervisors, and their perceptions of patient-related barriers to help-seeking: a survey study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Sturman ◽  
Amanda Tapley ◽  
Mieke van Driel ◽  
Elizabeth Holliday ◽  
Jean Ball ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Practice ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Just In Time ◽  
Workplace Interventions ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
Educational Implications ◽  
Perceived Change ◽  
Electronic Messaging

Abstract Background General practice (GP) trainees may seek supervisor assistance when hesitant to complete patient consultations independently. Trainees describe patient-related barriers to this in-consultation help-seeking, despite its key role in supervisory oversight. Little is known, however, about trainee strategies for seeking assistance, or the frequency and associations of trainee concerns about these barriers. Methods Australian GP trainees rated their frequency of use of five specific strategies for obtaining in-consultation assistance, perceived change in patient impressions of their competence after this assistance, and relative trainee comfort presenting patients outside, compared to within, patients’ hearing. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression. Results Responses were received from 778 Australian GP trainees (response rate 89%). Help-seeking strategies did not differ between trainees at different training stages, except for greater use of electronic messaging in later stages. In-consultation assistance was most commonly provided by phone between trainee and supervisor consulting rooms, or outside the trainee’s patient’s hearing. Supervisor assistance in the trainee’s room face-to-face with the patient was reported as either never or rarely obtained by 12% of respondents. More trainees (25%) perceived that patient impressions of their competence increased after help-seeking than perceived that these impressions decreased (19%). Most trainees (55%) preferred to present patients outside their hearing. Trainee age was the only variable associated with both patient-related barriers. Conclusion Supervisors appear to have considerable influence over trainee help-seeking barriers and strategies, including whether or not face-to-face in-consultation supervision is sought. In-consultation supervision may actually increase trainee perceptions of patient impressions of their competence. Many supervisors and trainees may benefit from additional educational and workplace interventions to facilitate comfortable and effective trainee help-seeking in front of patients. More work is required to understand the clinical and educational implications of different help-seeking strategies when trainees require ‘just in time’ supervisor assistance.

scholarly journals Young People Seeking Help Online for Mental Health: Cross-Sectional Survey Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudette Pretorius ◽  
Derek Chambers ◽  
Benjamin Cowan ◽  
David Coyle
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Internet Search ◽  
Online Help ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties

BACKGROUND Young people are particularly vulnerable to experiencing mental health difficulties, but very few seek treatment or help during this time. Online help-seeking may offer an additional domain where young people can seek aid for mental health difficulties, yet our current understanding of how young people seek help online is limited. OBJECTIVE This was an exploratory study which aimed to investigate the online help-seeking behaviors and preferences of young people. METHODS This study made use of an anonymous online survey. Young people aged 18-25, living in Ireland, were recruited through social media ads on Twitter and Facebook and participated in the survey. RESULTS A total of 1308 respondents completed the survey. Many of the respondents (80.66%; 1055/1308) indicated that they would use their mobile phone to look online for help for a personal or emotional concern. When looking for help online, 82.57% (1080/1308) of participants made use of an Internet search, while 57.03% (746/1308) made use of a health website. When asked about their satisfaction with these resources, 36.94% (399/1080) indicated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with an Internet search while 49.33% (368/746) indicated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with a health website. When asked about credibility, health websites were found to be the most trustworthy, with 39.45% (516/1308) indicating that they found them to be trustworthy or very trustworthy. Most of the respondents (82.95%; 1085/1308) indicated that a health service logo was an important indicator of credibility, as was an endorsement by schools and colleges (54.97%; 719/1308). Important facilitators of online help-seeking included the anonymity and confidentiality offered by the Internet, with 80% (1046/1308) of the sample indicating that it influenced their decision a lot or quite a lot. A noted barrier was being uncertain whether information on an online resource was reliable, with 55.96% (732/1308) of the respondents indicating that this influenced their decision a lot or quite a lot. CONCLUSIONS Findings from this survey suggest that young people are engaging with web-based mental health resources to assist them with their mental health concerns. However, levels of satisfaction with the available resources vary. Young people are engaging in strategies to assign credibility to web-based resources, however, uncertainty around their reliability is a significant barrier to online help-seeking.

scholarly journals The Advantages and Disadvantages of Online and Blended Therapy: Survey Study Amongst Licensed Psychotherapists in Austria (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raphael Schuster ◽  
Raffaela Pokorny ◽  
Thomas Berger ◽  
Naira Topooco ◽  
Anton-Rupert Laireiter
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
Theoretical Orientation ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Detectable Effect ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Web-based and blended (face-to-face plus Web-based) interventions for mental health disorders are gaining significance. However, many licensed psychotherapists still have guarded attitudes toward computer-assisted therapy, hindering dissemination efforts. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to provide a therapist-oriented evaluation of Web-based and blended therapies and identify commonalities and differences in attitudes toward both formats. Furthermore, it aimed to test the impact of an information clip on expressed attitudes. METHODS In total, 95 Austrian psychotherapists were contacted and surveyed via their listed occupational email address. An 8-minute information video was shown to half of the therapists before 19 advantages and 13 disadvantages had to be rated on a 6-point Likert scale. RESULTS The sample resembled all assessed properties of Austrian psychotherapists (age, theoretical orientation, and region). Therapists did not hold a uniform overall preference. Instead, perceived advantages of both interventions were rated as neutral (t94=1.89, P=.06; d=0.11), whereas Web-based interventions were associated with more disadvantages and risks (t94=9.86, P<.001; d=0.81). The information clip did not excerpt any detectable effect on therapists’ attitudes (r95=−.109, P=.30). The application of modern technologies in the own therapeutic practice and cognitive behavioral orientation were positively related to the given ratings. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to directly compare therapists’ attitudes toward Web-based and blended therapies. Positive attitudes play a pivotal role in the dissemination of new technologies, but unexperienced therapists seem to lack knowledge on how to benefit from technology-aided treatments. To speed up implementation, these aspects need to be addressed in the development of new interventions. Furthermore, the preference of blended treatments over Web-based interventions seems to relate to avoidance of risks. Although this study is likely to represent therapists’ attitudes in countries with less advanced electronic health services, therapists’ attitudes in more advanced countries might present differently.

scholarly journals Experiences of Psychotherapists With Remote Psychotherapy During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-sectional Web-Based Survey Study

10.2196/20246 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. e20246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elke Humer ◽  
Peter Stippl ◽  
Christoph Pieh ◽  
Rüdiger Pryss ◽  
Thomas Probst
Keyword(s):  
Survey Study ◽  
Personal Contact ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Protective Measures ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
Positive Experiences ◽  
Remote Therapy

Background The current situation around the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures necessary to fight it are creating challenges for psychotherapists, who usually treat patients face-to-face with personal contact. The pandemic is accelerating the use of remote psychotherapy (ie, psychotherapy provided via telephone or the internet). However, some psychotherapists have expressed reservations regarding remote psychotherapy. As psychotherapists are the individuals who determine the frequency of use of remote psychotherapy, the potential of enabling mental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic in line with the protective measures to fight COVID-19 can be realized only if psychotherapists are willing to use remote psychotherapy. Objective This study aimed to investigate the experiences of psychotherapists with remote psychotherapy in the first weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown in Austria (between March 24 and April 1, 2020). Methods Austrian psychotherapists were invited to take part in a web-based survey. The therapeutic orientations of the psychotherapists (behavioral, humanistic, psychodynamic, or systemic), their rating of the comparability of remote psychotherapy (web- or telephone-based) with face-to-face psychotherapy involving personal contact, and potential discrepancies between their actual experiences and previous expectations with remote psychotherapy were assessed. Data from 1162 psychotherapists practicing before and during the COVID-19 lockdown were analyzed. Results Psychotherapy conducted via telephone or the internet was reported to not be totally comparable to psychotherapy with personal contact (P<.001). Psychodynamic (P=.001) and humanistic (P=.005) therapists reported a higher comparability of telephone-based psychotherapy to in-person psychotherapy than behavioral therapists. Experiences with remote therapy (both web- and telephone-based) were more positive than previously expected (P<.001). Psychodynamic therapists reported more positive experiences with telephone-based psychotherapy than expected compared to behavioral (P=.03) and systemic (P=.002) therapists. In general, web-based psychotherapy was rated more positively (regarding comparability to psychotherapy with personal contact and experiences vs expectations) than telephone-based psychotherapy (P<.001); however, psychodynamic therapists reported their previous expectations to be equal to their actual experiences for both telephone- and web-based psychotherapy. Conclusions Psychotherapists found their experiences with remote psychotherapy (ie, web- or telephone-based psychotherapy) to be better than expected but found that this mode was not totally comparable to face-to-face psychotherapy with personal contact. Especially, behavioral therapists were found to rate telephone-based psychotherapy less favorably than therapists with other theoretical backgrounds.

scholarly journals Experiences of Psychotherapists With Remote Psychotherapy During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-sectional Web-Based Survey Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elke Humer ◽  
Peter Stippl ◽  
Christoph Pieh ◽  
Rüdiger Pryss ◽  
Thomas Probst
Keyword(s):  
Survey Study ◽  
Personal Contact ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Protective Measures ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
Positive Experiences ◽  
Remote Therapy

BACKGROUND The current situation around the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures necessary to fight it are creating challenges for psychotherapists, who usually treat patients face-to-face with personal contact. The pandemic is accelerating the use of remote psychotherapy (ie, psychotherapy provided via telephone or the internet). However, some psychotherapists have expressed reservations regarding remote psychotherapy. As psychotherapists are the individuals who determine the frequency of use of remote psychotherapy, the potential of enabling mental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic in line with the protective measures to fight COVID-19 can be realized only if psychotherapists are willing to use remote psychotherapy. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the experiences of psychotherapists with remote psychotherapy in the first weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown in Austria (between March 24 and April 1, 2020). METHODS Austrian psychotherapists were invited to take part in a web-based survey. The therapeutic orientations of the psychotherapists (behavioral, humanistic, psychodynamic, or systemic), their rating of the comparability of remote psychotherapy (web- or telephone-based) with face-to-face psychotherapy involving personal contact, and potential discrepancies between their actual experiences and previous expectations with remote psychotherapy were assessed. Data from 1162 psychotherapists practicing before and during the COVID-19 lockdown were analyzed. RESULTS Psychotherapy conducted via telephone or the internet was reported to not be totally comparable to psychotherapy with personal contact (<i>P</i>&lt;.001). Psychodynamic (<i>P</i>=.001) and humanistic (<i>P</i>=.005) therapists reported a higher comparability of telephone-based psychotherapy to in-person psychotherapy than behavioral therapists. Experiences with remote therapy (both web- and telephone-based) were more positive than previously expected (<i>P</i>&lt;.001). Psychodynamic therapists reported more positive experiences with telephone-based psychotherapy than expected compared to behavioral (<i>P</i>=.03) and systemic (<i>P</i>=.002) therapists. In general, web-based psychotherapy was rated more positively (regarding comparability to psychotherapy with personal contact and experiences vs expectations) than telephone-based psychotherapy (<i>P</i>&lt;.001); however, psychodynamic therapists reported their previous expectations to be equal to their actual experiences for both telephone- and web-based psychotherapy. CONCLUSIONS Psychotherapists found their experiences with remote psychotherapy (ie, web- or telephone-based psychotherapy) to be better than expected but found that this mode was not totally comparable to face-to-face psychotherapy with personal contact. Especially, behavioral therapists were found to rate telephone-based psychotherapy less favorably than therapists with other theoretical backgrounds.

scholarly journals Configurations for obtaining in-consultation assistance from supervisors in general practice training, and patient-related barriers to trainee help-seeking: a survey study.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Sturman ◽  
Amanda Tapley ◽  
Mieke van Driel ◽  
Elizabeth Holliday ◽  
Jean Ball ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Practice ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Just In Time ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
Perceived Change ◽  
Seeking Help ◽  
Electronic Messaging ◽  
General Practice Training

Abstract BackgroundGeneral practice (GP) trainees may seek supervisor assistance to complete their patient consultations. This in-consultation assistance plays a key role in the supervisory oversight of trainees and in trainee learning. It may be obtained face-to-face, or using phone or messaging systems, and either in front of patients or outside their hearing. Trainee concerns about decreased patient impressions of their competence, and discomfort presenting patients within their hearing, act as barriers to seeking help during consultations. Little is known about the frequency and associations of trainee concerns about these patient-related barriers, or the various trainee-supervisor-patient configurations used to obtain in-consultation assistance.MethodsAustralian GP trainees rated their frequency of use of five specific configurations for obtaining in-consultation assistance, perceived change in patient impressions of their competence after this assistance, and relative trainee comfort presenting patients outside, compared to within, patients’ hearing. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression.ResultsResponses were received from 778 Australian GP trainees (response rate 89%). Help-seeking configurations did not differ between trainees at different training stages, except for greater use of electronic messaging in later stages. In-consultation assistance was most commonly provided by phone between trainee and supervisor consulting rooms, or outside the trainee’s patient’s hearing. Supervisor assistance in the trainee’s room face-to-face with the patient was reported as either never or rarely obtained by 12% of respondents. More trainees (25%) perceived that patient impressions of their competence increased after help-seeking than perceived that these impressions decreased (19%). Most trainees (55%) preferred to present patients outside their hearing. Trainee age was the only variable associated with both patient-related barriers.ConclusionSupervisors appear to have considerable influence over trainee help-seeking, including which configurations are used and trainee perceptions of patient-related barriers. In-consultation supervision may actually increase trainee perceptions of patient impressions of their competence. Many supervisors and trainees may benefit from additional educational and workplace interventions to facilitate comfortable and effective trainee help-seeking in front of patients. More work is required to understand the clinical and educational implications of different help-seeking configurations when trainees require ‘just in time’ supervisor assistance.

scholarly journals Young People Seeking Help Online for Mental Health: Cross-Sectional Survey Study

10.2196/13524 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. e13524 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudette Pretorius ◽  
Derek Chambers ◽  
Benjamin Cowan ◽  
David Coyle
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Internet Search ◽  
Online Help ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties

Background Young people are particularly vulnerable to experiencing mental health difficulties, but very few seek treatment or help during this time. Online help-seeking may offer an additional domain where young people can seek aid for mental health difficulties, yet our current understanding of how young people seek help online is limited. Objective This was an exploratory study which aimed to investigate the online help-seeking behaviors and preferences of young people. Methods This study made use of an anonymous online survey. Young people aged 18-25, living in Ireland, were recruited through social media ads on Twitter and Facebook and participated in the survey. Results A total of 1308 respondents completed the survey. Many of the respondents (80.66%; 1055/1308) indicated that they would use their mobile phone to look online for help for a personal or emotional concern. When looking for help online, 82.57% (1080/1308) of participants made use of an Internet search, while 57.03% (746/1308) made use of a health website. When asked about their satisfaction with these resources, 36.94% (399/1080) indicated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with an Internet search while 49.33% (368/746) indicated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with a health website. When asked about credibility, health websites were found to be the most trustworthy, with 39.45% (516/1308) indicating that they found them to be trustworthy or very trustworthy. Most of the respondents (82.95%; 1085/1308) indicated that a health service logo was an important indicator of credibility, as was an endorsement by schools and colleges (54.97%; 719/1308). Important facilitators of online help-seeking included the anonymity and confidentiality offered by the Internet, with 80% (1046/1308) of the sample indicating that it influenced their decision a lot or quite a lot. A noted barrier was being uncertain whether information on an online resource was reliable, with 55.96% (732/1308) of the respondents indicating that this influenced their decision a lot or quite a lot. Conclusions Findings from this survey suggest that young people are engaging with web-based mental health resources to assist them with their mental health concerns. However, levels of satisfaction with the available resources vary. Young people are engaging in strategies to assign credibility to web-based resources, however, uncertainty around their reliability is a significant barrier to online help-seeking.

scholarly journals Configurations for obtaining in-consultation assistance from supervisors in general practice training, and patient-related barriers to trainee help-seeking: a survey study.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Sturman ◽  
Amanda Tapley ◽  
Mieke van Driel ◽  
Elizabeth Holliday ◽  
Jean Ball ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Practice ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Just In Time ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
Perceived Change ◽  
Seeking Help ◽  
Electronic Messaging ◽  
General Practice Training

Abstract Background General practice (GP) trainees may seek supervisor assistance to complete their patient consultations. This in-consultation assistance plays a key role in the supervisory oversight of trainees and in trainee learning. It may be obtained face-to-face, or using phone or messaging systems, and either in front of patients or outside their hearing. Trainee concerns about decreased patient impressions of their competence, and discomfort presenting patients within their hearing, act as barriers to seeking help during consultations. Little is known about the frequency and associations of trainee concerns about these patient-related barriers, or the various trainee-supervisor-patient configurations used to obtain in-consultation assistance. Methods Australian GP trainees rated their frequency of use of five specific configurations for obtaining in-consultation assistance, perceived change in patient impressions of their competence after this assistance, and relative trainee comfort presenting patients outside, compared to within, patients’ hearing. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression. Results Responses were received from 778 Australian GP trainees (response rate 89%). Help-seeking configurations did not differ between trainees at different training stages, except for greater use of electronic messaging in later stages. In-consultation assistance was most commonly provided by phone between trainee and supervisor consulting rooms, or outside the trainee’s patient’s hearing. Supervisor assistance in the trainee’s room face-to-face with the patient was reported as either never or rarely obtained by 12% of respondents. More trainees (25%) perceived that patient impressions of their competence increased after help-seeking than perceived that these impressions decreased (19%). Most trainees (55%) preferred to present patients outside their hearing. Trainee age was the only variable associated with both patient-related barriers. Conclusion Supervisors appear to have considerable influence over trainee help-seeking, including which configurations are used and trainee perceptions of patient-related barriers. In-consultation supervision may actually increase trainee perceptions of patient impressions of their competence. Many supervisors and trainees may benefit from additional educational and workplace interventions to facilitate comfortable and effective trainee help-seeking in front of patients. More work is required to understand the clinical and educational implications of different help-seeking configurations when trainees require ‘just in time’ supervisor assistance.

scholarly journals Configurations for obtaining in-consultation assistance from supervisors in general practice training, and patient-related barriers to trainee help-seeking: a survey study

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy J. Sturman ◽  
Amanda Tapley ◽  
Mieke L. van Driel ◽  
Elizabeth G. Holliday ◽  
Jean I. Ball ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Practice ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Just In Time ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
Perceived Change ◽  
Seeking Help ◽  
Electronic Messaging ◽  
General Practice Training

Abstract Background General practice (GP) trainees may seek supervisor assistance to complete their patient consultations. This in-consultation assistance plays a key role in the supervisory oversight of trainees and in trainee learning. It may be obtained face-to-face, or using phone or messaging systems, and either in front of patients or outside their hearing. Trainee concerns about decreased patient impressions of their competence, and discomfort presenting patients within their hearing, act as barriers to seeking help during consultations. Little is known about the frequency and associations of trainee concerns about these patient-related barriers, or the various trainee-supervisor-patient configurations used to obtain in-consultation assistance. Methods Australian GP trainees rated their frequency of use of five specific configurations for obtaining in-consultation assistance, perceived change in patient impressions of their competence after this assistance, and relative trainee comfort presenting patients outside, compared to within, patients’ hearing. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression. Results Responses were received from 778 Australian GP trainees (response rate 89%). Help-seeking configurations did not differ between trainees at different training stages, except for greater use of electronic messaging in later stages. In-consultation assistance was most commonly provided by phone between trainee and supervisor consulting rooms, or outside the trainee’s patient’s hearing. Supervisor assistance in the trainee’s room face-to-face with the patient was reported as either never or rarely obtained by 12% of respondents. More trainees (25%) perceived that patient impressions of their competence increased after help-seeking than perceived that these impressions decreased (19%). Most trainees (55%) preferred to present patients outside their hearing. Trainee age was the only variable associated with both patient-related barriers. Conclusion Supervisors appear to have considerable influence over trainee help-seeking, including which configurations are used and trainee perceptions of patient-related barriers. In-consultation supervision may actually increase trainee perceptions of patient impressions of their competence. Many supervisors and trainees may benefit from additional educational and workplace interventions to facilitate comfortable and effective trainee help-seeking in front of patients. More work is required to understand the clinical and educational implications of different help-seeking configurations when trainees require ‘just in time’ supervisor assistance.

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