M Clarke1, D L Whitford, F O'Reilly. 1. Department of Family Medicine and General Practice, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The numbers of removals of patients from General Practitioner lists in Ireland is increasing and is a cause for some concern. AIMS: To examine the views of both general practitioners and patients toward removals of patients from general practitioner lists. METHODS: Questionnaire survey to general practitioners in North Inner City Dublin who had removed patients from their list over a 1-year period (n = 45) and to the patients they had removed (n = 86). Follow up semi structured interviews were carried out with five general practitioners and ten patients. RESULTS: For doctors, the decision to remove a problematic patient from their list is generally a positive experience, providing relief and being associated with certainty in both the decision and the process. For the patient, being removed from a GP's list is a negative experience, stressful and confusing. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for the development of a clear responsive, transparent and supportive system for removing patients from a GP list.
BACKGROUND: The numbers of removals of patients from General Practitioner lists in Ireland is increasing and is a cause for some concern. AIMS: To examine the views of both general practitioners and patients toward removals of patients from general practitioner lists. METHODS: Questionnaire survey to general practitioners in North Inner City Dublin who had removed patients from their list over a 1-year period (n = 45) and to the patients they had removed (n = 86). Follow up semi structured interviews were carried out with five general practitioners and ten patients. RESULTS: For doctors, the decision to remove a problematic patient from their list is generally a positive experience, providing relief and being associated with certainty in both the decision and the process. For the patient, being removed from a GP's list is a negative experience, stressful and confusing. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for the development of a clear responsive, transparent and supportive system for removing patients from a GP list.
Authors: Alissa R Groisser; Harry Reyes Nieva; Elise Ruan; Adam Wright; Gordon D Schiff Journal: J Gen Intern Med Date: 2021-05-04 Impact factor: 5.128