Petrova, Mila, Vail, Laura, Bosley, Sara and Dale, Jeremy, 1958-. (2010) Benefits and challenges of employing health care assistants in general practice : a qualitative study of GPs' and practice nurses' perspectives. Family Practice, Vol.27 (No.3). pp. 303-311. ISSN 0263-2136

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Abstract

Objectives. To explore the role of HCAs in general practice and the benefits and challenges associated with their employment. Methods. Semi-structured interviews were performed with 6 GPs and 13 practice nurses as part of a larger qualitative study that also included HCAs. Interviewees were from 16 general practices from two Primary Care Trusts in the West Midlands. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic and framework analysis. Results. HCAs were seen as a valuable addition to the primary care team. They were reported to accelerate, rather than extend services, allow more appropriate use of nurses' skills and enable cost containment. Their training and supervision were felt as time intensive, demanding of time and commitment. Patient safety was raised as a concern, although no specific experience of it being compromised was reported. Nurses recognized the usefulness of HCAs, helped to make the role work, but were often anxious about the impact on their own roles and professional identity. Patients were perceived as being generally neutral or positive. Conclusion. Cost-effectiveness, patient safety, quality of care, potentially contested role boundaries and patient attitudes are among the issues that policy-makers, commissioners and those responsible for workforce development and training need to consider in relation to HCAs in general practice. There is also a need for more in-depth evaluation of this role.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	R Medicine R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine R Medicine > RT Nursing
Divisions:	Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Mental Health and Wellbeing Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Allied health personnel, Medical personnel, Family medicine, Nurses' aides, Health care team, Qualitative research
Journal or Publication Title:	Family Practice
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
ISSN:	0263-2136
Date:	June 2010
Volume:	Vol.27
Number:	No.3
Number of Pages:	9
Page Range:	pp. 303-311
Identification Number:	10.1093/fampra/cmq011
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
Funder:	University of Warwick
Grant number:	RD06009 (UoW)
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/5829

Data sourced from Thomson Reuters' Web of Knowledge

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