Should GPs have direct access to imaging for headache? A qualitative study of patients' views in the UK.
BMJ Open
; 9(8): e029376, 2019 08 18.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31427332
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
We aimed to describe patients' views of a new referral pathway of general practitioner (GP) direct access to MRI, versus imaging after referral to a specialist.DESIGN:
This qualitative study involved 20 semistructured interviews. Twenty patients (10 from each pathway) were purposively recruited and interviewed to describe their attitudes.SETTING:
A neurology headache clinic and neuroradiology services from the boroughs of Southwark and Lambeth in South London, UK.PARTICIPANTS:
Twenty patients were involved in this study.RESULTS:
Over half of the participants felt relieved once they received their scan results, while some remained uncertain about the underlying cause of their symptoms. Some participants described a long wait to see a specialist. Others described a long wait time to receive scan results, especially from their GP. Spontaneous reduction in headache symptoms occurred for some participants and for others, normal imaging results allowed them to focus more on symptom management.CONCLUSION:
Relief was reported especially when scan results had been explained clearly and without too much delay. Those with continuing pain focused on how to get relief from symptoms. Patient experience might be improved with clearer information from GPs about how patients can access results, standard reporting procedures and closer liaison between neuroradiology and GPs.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Encaminhamento e Consulta
/
Satisfação do Paciente
/
Clínicos Gerais
/
Cefaleia
Tipo de estudo:
Qualitative_research
Limite:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
País/Região como assunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
BMJ Open
Ano de publicação:
2019
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Reino Unido