Is primary care research important and relevant to GPs?

Appraisal of National Institute for Health and Care Research activity in primary care in England: cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) was set up to enhance clinical and health research activity in a variety of National Health Service (NHS) healthcare settings, including primary care.

OBJECTIVE

To appraise how overall General Practitioner (GP) practice performance, location, and staffing levels may interact with NIHR Portfolio activity in primary care in England.

METHODS

Cross-sectional summary of GP practice research activity and practice descriptors; complete data from 6,171 GP practices was collated from NIHR (using data for 2013-2023 for Portfolio studies), Public Health England, Care Quality Commission, and NHS Digital sources, respectively.

RESULTS

In primary care, 1 million patients have been recruited into NIHR Portfolio studies in the last decade. The top 10% of practices-measured by different studies recruited to-contributed over 50% of that accrual. When the top decile of GP practices is compared to the 20% least active GP practices, research activity is significantly and individually linked with larger GP practices. Furthermore, it is significantly yet modestly associated with GP practice performance (positive patient feedback, Care Quality Commission rating), lower locality deprivation levels, and lower patient to GP ratios.

CONCLUSIONS

Research activity in GP practices is-as seen previously with hospitals-significantly linked with better GP practice performance and patient feedback. Practice list size and staffing levels in particular interact with the aforementioned. This should be taken into account when determining strategies to increase patient and GP practice participation in NIHR Portfolio research studies.

Describing the Breadth and Scope of Keck Medical Student Primary Care Research Projects

Introduction

Primary care research is an important field of study within medicine, but little research has characterized medical students' projects on this topic. Second-year medical students at the Keck School of Medicine (KSOM) of University of Southern California are required to complete a research project on a topic of their choice. This study seeks to describe the scope of primary care medical student research conducted by KSOM medical students and specifically Primary Care Program (PCP) pipeline students. The PCP consists of students with a vested interest in primary care, and who we hypothesize are more likely to complete a primary care project.

Methods

To assess students' primary care (PC) research output, we reviewed and sorted 1,408 KSOM abstracts between 2014 and 2020 into PC or non-PC. PC projects were then recategorized into more specific PC topics. χ² analysis determined significance at P<.05.

Results

We reviewed abstracts from 1,408 KSOM medical students (n=122 PCP; 1,286 non-PCP). Results revealed that the number of PC research projects conducted by 122 PCP students (67.2%, n=82) was statistically significantly higher than by 1,286 non-PCP students (14.7%, n=189, P<.00001). The most common PC research topics (n= 271) were education (patient/medical, n=71, 26%), health diversity/disparities (n=60, 22%), mental health/psychiatry/behavioral science (n=58, 21%), and community medicine (n=48, 18%).

Conclusions

Our study describes the breadth and scope of Keck medical student PC research. Supporting PC research efforts by medical students may increase the proportion of students conducting PC research, students choosing PC careers, and faculty producing PC scholarship.

Complex skills are required for new primary health care researchers: a training program responds

BACKGROUND

Current dimensions of the primary health care research (PHC) context, including the need for contextualized research methods to address complex questions, and the co-creation of knowledge through partnerships with stakeholders - require PHC researchers to have a comprehensive set of skills for engaging effectively in high impact research.

MAIN BODY

In 2002 we developed a unique program to respond to these needs - Transdisciplinary Understanding and Training on Research - Primary Health Care (TUTOR-PHC). The program's goals are to train a cadre of PHC researchers, clinicians, and decision makers in interdisciplinary research to aid them in tackling current and future challenges in PHC and in leading collaborative interdisciplinary research teams. Seven essential educational approaches employed by TUTOR-PHC are described, as well as the principles underlying the curriculum. This program is unique because of its pan-Canadian nature, longevity, and the multiplicity of disciplines represented. Program evaluation results indicate: 1) overall program experiences are very positive; 2) TUTOR-PHC increases trainee interdisciplinary research understanding and activity; and 3) this training assists in developing their interdisciplinary research careers. Taken together, the structure of the program, its content, educational approaches, and principles, represent a complex whole. This complexity parallels that of the PHC research context - a context that requires researchers who are able to respond to multiple challenges.

CONCLUSION

We present this description of ways to teach and learn the advanced complex skills necessary for successful PHC researchers with a view to supporting the potential uptake of program components in other settings.

La mujer en la investigación en la sociedad científica. Una aproximación mediante un análisis de producción científica en la semFYC

Objetivo: conocer el grado de feminización de la autoría de los estudios y proyectos de investigación presentados en las reuniones científicas nacionales de la Sociedad Española de Medicina de Familia y Comunitaria (semFYC). Métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo transversal mediante el análisis de las bases de datos de las comunicaciones de investigación presentadas en los congresos nacionales de la semFYC entre los años 2007 y 2021, así como de los proyectos presentados para las becas de investigación para tesis doctorales. Se recogieron las variables de género, comunidad autónoma, universidad, año de celebración del congreso y áreas temáticas estudiadas. Resultados: se analizaron 6.057 comunicaciones de investigación, siendo el 66,7% (IC 95%: 65,5-67,8) presentadas por una mujer con primera autora. Las comunidades a las que corresponden el mayor porcentaje de comunicaciones de autoría femenina fueron Cataluña (42%), Andalucía (19%), Madrid (8%), Comunidad Valenciana (5%) y Murcia (5%). Aragón es la que presenta mayor ratio de mujeres/hombres (72%), seguida de Cataluña (69%) y Andalucía (69%). Se analizaron 273 proyectos de tesis doctorales, siendo una investigadora principal en el 72% (IC 95%: 66,7-77,7), y procedente de Cataluña (23,9%), Andalucía (18,9%). Las universidades más representadas son la Autónoma de Barcelona (12,5%), Zaragoza (6,4%) y Valladolid (5,5%), estas dos últimas con la mayor ratio de feminización (100%, 48%, respectivamente). Conclusiones: la investigación presentada en los eventos de la semFYC está feminizada, siendo reflejo de la feminización de la medicina de familia, y manteniéndose a lo largo del tiempo. Las comunidades autónomas (CC. AA.) con estructuras específicas de investigación para la Atención Primaria (AP) son también las que más contribuyen a dicha feminización. Palabras clave: género, Atención Primaria, investigación, feminización de la medicina.

La mujer en la investigación en la sociedad científica. Una aproximación mediante un análisis de producción científica en la semFYC

Objetivo: conocer el grado de feminización de la autoría de los estudios y proyectos de investigación presentados en las reuniones científicas nacionales de la Sociedad Española de Medicina de Familia y Comunitaria (semFYC). Métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo transversal mediante el análisis de las bases de datos de las comunicaciones de investigación presentadas en los congresos nacionales de la semFYC entre los años 2007 y 2021, así como de los proyectos presentados para las becas de investigación para tesis doctorales. Se recogieron las variables de género, comunidad autónoma, universidad, año de celebración del congreso y áreas temáticas estudiadas. Resultados: se analizaron 6.057 comunicaciones de investigación, siendo el 66,7% (IC 95%: 65,5-67,8) presentadas por una mujer con primera autora. Las comunidades a las que corresponden el mayor porcentaje de comunicaciones de autoría femenina fueron Cataluña (42%), Andalucía (19%), Madrid (8%), Comunidad Valenciana (5%) y Murcia (5%). Aragón es la que presenta mayor ratio de mujeres/hombres (72%), seguida de Cataluña (69%) y Andalucía (69%). Se analizaron 273 proyectos de tesis doctorales, siendo una investigadora principal en el 72% (IC 95%: 66,7-77,7), y procedente de Cataluña (23,9%), Andalucía (18,9%). Las universidades más representadas son la Autónoma de Barcelona (12,5%), Zaragoza (6,4%) y Valladolid (5,5%), estas dos últimas con la mayor ratio de feminización (100%, 48%, respectivamente). Conclusiones: la investigación presentada en los eventos de la semFYC está feminizada, siendo reflejo de la feminización de la medicina de familia, y manteniéndose a lo largo del tiempo. Las comunidades autónomas (CC. AA.) con estructuras específicas de investigación para la Atención Primaria (AP) son también las que más contribuyen a dicha feminización. Palabras clave: género, Atención Primaria, investigación, feminización de la medicina.

Hepatic schistosomiasis, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, and health related quality of life measurements from the Albert Nile Basin

BACKGROUND

Health related quality of life measurements are vital elements of public health surveillance that uncover unmet health needs and predict the success of health interventions. We described health related quality of life measurements using the EuroQoL 5-dimension (EQ-VAS/EQ-5D) instrument and associated factors among patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) and hepatic schistosomiasis at a rural health facility in the Albert Nile Basin, Uganda.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

This was a cross-sectional study at Pakwach Health Centre IV. Participants included adult inpatients and outpatients with a history of UGIB and ultrasound evidence of hepatic schistosomiasis. We evaluated and recorded each participant's medical history, physical examination, laboratory tests results, ultrasound results, and endoscopy findings. We also recorded health related quality of life measurements using the EuroQoL 5-dimension instrument and derived disability weights from EQ-VAS and EQ-5D measurements. These were our dependent variables. Descriptive and inferential statistics were generated summarizing our findings.

RESULTS

We found 103 participants had a history of upper gastrointestinal bleeding and hepatosplenic schistosomiasis. Sixty percent were between the ages of 30-49 years, 59% were females, 74% were farmers, 92% had splenomegaly, 88% had varices at endoscopy, 22% were medical emergencies with acute variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding, and 62% had anemia. Measures of the different dimensions of health from 101 participants with patient reported outcomes revealed 77 (76%) participants experienced problems in self-care, 89 (88%) participants reported anxiety or depression, and 89 (88%) participants experienced pain or discomfort. The median EQ-VAS derived disability weights and median EQ-5D index-derived disability weights were 0.3 and 0.34, respectively. Acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding, praziquantel drug treatment, and age by decade predicted higher EQ-VAS derived disability weights (p value < 0.05). Under weight (Body mass index ≤ 18.5), acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding, ascites, age by decade, female gender, and praziquantel drug treatment predicted higher EQ-5D index- derived disability weights (p value < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Adult patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding and hepatic schistosomiasis from this primary health facility experience poor health and considerable health loss. Several factors predicted increased health loss. These factors probably represent key areas of health intervention towards mitigating increased health loss in this population.