The following is a summary of “Asking the Generalist – evaluation of a General Practice Rounding and Consult Service,” published in the April 2024 issue of Primary Care by Schmalstieg-Bahr et al.
Patients with vascular surgery admitted to hospitals often present with complex medical conditions, necessitating input from multiple specialties and resulting in diverse treatment recommendations. The General Practitioner’s (GP) perspective could potentially mitigate these challenges.
This study aimed to introduce and assess the feasibility and benefits of a General Practice rounding service (GP-RS) within a tertiary care setting, specifically focusing on patients with vascular surgery. From June to December 2020, a board-certified GP from the Department of General Practice and Primary Care at University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf joined the vascular surgery team weekly for rounds.
The project’s evaluation employed a mixed-methods approach: qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with vascular surgery physicians involved in the GP-RS, those who were not, other specialists typically consulted on the vascular surgery floor, and the participating GP. Interviews were analyzed using Kuckartz’s qualitative content analysis. Additionally, quantitative data from 367 patients with vascular surgery and 80 conventional GP consultations were analyzed to identify common reasons for GP consultation.
Findings indicated that physicians perceived the GP-RS positively, noting benefits such as medication optimization, reduced unnecessary consultations, and educational value for trainees. However, concerns included increased workload and the specificity of some consult requests for a GP’s scope. The most frequent reasons for GP consultation included the management of cardiovascular diseases like hypertension and diabetes. This study concludes that implementing a GP-RS is feasible in tertiary care settings and suggests further research into GP co-management models to enhance patient care and streamline consultation practices.
Source: bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-024-02353-0
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