Premium
How do general practitioners engage with allied health practitioners to prevent falls in older people? An exploratory qualitative study
Author(s) -
Grant Alasdair,
Mackenzie Lynette,
Clemson Lindy
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
australasian journal on ageing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-6612
pISSN - 1440-6381
DOI - 10.1111/ajag.12157
Subject(s) - multidisciplinary approach , qualitative research , psychological intervention , nursing , health care , exploratory research , medical education , knowledge translation , rehabilitation , perception , psychology , medicine , sociology , physical therapy , knowledge management , social science , anthropology , economics , economic growth , neuroscience , computer science
Aim To explore general practitioners' ( GPs' ) perceptions about their use of C hronic D isease M anagement ( CDM ) items to access allied health interventions, in particular occupational therapy and physiotherapy, with the purpose of preventing falls, as well as to identify GP support needs with regard to development of partnerships with local allied health practitioners. Method A qualitative study was conducted in the S ydney metropolitan area through individual semistructured interviews with eight GPs , which were recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically. Results Themes included (i) difficulties and opportunities associated with multidisciplinary care; (ii) potential for CDM items to be used to support falls prevention strategies; and (iii) the user‐friendliness of the CDM items. Conclusion Effective coordination of multidisciplinary care between GPs and allied health professionals was desired but difficult to achieve through the CDM system, making translation of falls prevention evidence into clinical practice challenging. Further education on falls prevention and CDM item modification is needed to bridge this gap.