The perceptions of occupational health in primary care
Aim A random sample of general practitioners (GPs), practice nurses (PNs) and practice managers (PMs) in Sheffield and Manchester was recruited into a study to evaluate the perceptions of occupational health (OH) in primary care. Methods Qualitative data were collected using focus groups with three...
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Published in | Occupational medicine (Oxford) Vol. 55; no. 7; pp. 523 - 527 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Oxford
Oxford University Press
01.10.2005
Oxford Publishing Limited (England) |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Aim A random sample of general practitioners (GPs), practice nurses (PNs) and practice managers (PMs) in Sheffield and Manchester was recruited into a study to evaluate the perceptions of occupational health (OH) in primary care. Methods Qualitative data were collected using focus groups with three groups of primary care sector professionals. Quantitative data were collected nationally from 295 GPs using a postal questionnaire. Results GPs and PNs had minimal OH training, and 60% of GPs reported constraints in addressing OH matters with patients. The lack of referral routes (63 and 67%, respectively) was also seen as a barrier. OH was regarded as a speciality, and primary care professionals preferred to refer patients with OH problems to specialist centres because they perceived barriers to their dealing with the issues. A total of 74% of GPs surveyed thought that speedier access to secondary care would help them to address OH problems. Conclusions This study has identified some of the problems associated with delivering OH through primary care. It also demonstrated a need for greater emphasis on OH education in medical and nurse training, and a need for better advice for GPs, PNs and PMs regarding support services for OH. |
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Bibliography: | local:kqi123 istex:FD8CCCC90C4D36F5599E3B69CB8A0E5C4DACD6DB ark:/67375/HXZ-VC3HCKV7-0 Correspondence to: Joanne Elms, Health and Safety Laboratory, Harpur Hill, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 9JN, UK. e-mail: Joanne.Elms@hsl.gov.uk ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 0962-7480 1471-8405 |
DOI: | 10.1093/occmed/kqi123 |