Baza Bueno M, Serrano Ferrández E, Dosio Revenga A, Diouri N, Fernández de Sanmamed Santos MJ, Calderón Gómez C. []"Sacred encounters" in primary care: What do they mean for family physicians?].
Aten Primaria 2020;
52:335-344. [PMID:
31029459 PMCID:
PMC7231866 DOI:
10.1016/j.aprim.2018.12.006]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Revised: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To determine the perceptions and attitudes of the general practitioners (GP) towards consultations with great emotional component, initially called "sacred encounters", and to identify areas of improvement.
DESIGN
A qualitative methodology based on a socio-subjective approach and focused on health services research. Descriptive-interpretative study.
LOCATION
Health Centres of Alava and Biscay.
PARTICIPANTS
Selection of 23 GP from 23 urban and rural Health Centres.
METHOD
Intentional sampling aimed at looking for discursive diversity. Data generated in 2016 by means of 3 discussion groups and 3 individual interviews recorded and transcribed after informed consent. Presentation to the ethics committee of the Basque Country. Thematic analysis with the aid of conceptual maps and MaxQDA program. Triangulation of the results between researchers and verification by the participants.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The findings were clustered into overlapping thematic areas related to the meaning of these encounters, attitudes of GP, health context, and patients. The importance of the emotions in primary care encounters and their invisibility is underlined, but the adequacy of the term "sacred" is questioned. This expression is built into the GP-patient relationship, if GP favours it and the patient also allows it, discussing the main circumstances that intervene in an essential dimension of integral care.
CONCLUSIONS
The attention to the emotional dimension in the encounters has deficiencies that need to be corrected. In addition to its recognition and evaluation, it would be necessary to modify the organisational, training and professional factors that determine the involvement of the GPs in their good health care.
Collapse