Do Australian general practitioners believe practice nurses can take a role in chlamydia testing? A qualitative study of attitudes and opinions

BMC Infectious Diseases

Research Article

Christopher Fairley¹  Anna Wood²  Jane Hocking²  Alaina Vaisey²  Jane Gunn³  Meredith Temple-Smith³  Rebecca Guy⁴  Rebecca Lorch⁴  John Kaldor⁴  Basil Donovan⁵ 

[1] Central Clinical School, Monash University and Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Carlton, Victoria, Australia;Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia;Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia;The Kirby Institute for Infection and Immunity in Society, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia;The Kirby Institute for Infection and Immunity in Society, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia;Sydney Sexual Health Centre, Sydney Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia;

关键词: Sexual Health;    Practice Nurse;    Pelvic Inflammatory Disease;    Partner Notification;    Chlamydia Screening;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12879-015-0757-7

 received in 2014-10-18, accepted in 2015-01-15,  发布年份 2015

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundChlamydia notifications continue to rise in young people in many countries and regular chlamydia testing is an important prevention strategy. Although there have been initiatives to increase testing in primary care, none have specifically investigated the role of practice nurses (PNs) in maximising testing rates. PNs have previously expressed a willingness to be involved, but noted lack of support from general practitioners (GPs) as a barrier. We sought GPs’ attitudes and opinions on PNs taking an expanded role in chlamydia testing and partner notification.MethodsIn the context of a cluster randomised trial in mostly rural towns in 4 Australian states, semi structured interviews were conducted with 44 GPs between March 2011 and July 2012. Data relating to PN involvement in chlamydia testing were thematically analysed using a conventional content analysis approach.ResultsThe majority of GPs interviewed felt that a role for PNs in chlamydia testing was appropriate. GPs felt that PNs had more time for patient education and advice, that patients would find PNs easier to talk to and less intimidating than GPs, and that GPs themselves could benefit through a reduction in their workload. Although GPs felt that PNs could be utilised more effectively for preventative health activities such as chlamydia testing, many raised concerns about how these activities would be renumerated whilst some felt that existing workload pressures for PNs could make it difficult for them to expand their role. Whilst some rural GPs recognised that PNs might be well placed to conduct partner notification, they also recognised that issues of patient privacy and confidentiality related to living in a “small town” was also a concern.ConclusionThis is the first qualitative study to explore GPs’ views around an increased role for PNs in chlamydia testing. Despite the concerns raised by PNs, these findings suggest that GPs support the concept and recognise that PNs are suited to the role. However issues raised, such as funding and remuneration may act as barriers that will need to be addressed before PNs are supported to make a contribution to increasing chlamydia testing rates in general practice.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Lorch et al.; licensee BioMed Central. 2015