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Published on: February 13, 2020
Implementing structured functional assessments in general practice for persons with long-term sick leave: a cluster
Nina Østerås1, Pål Gulbrandsen, Jūrate Saltyte Benth
1Section of Occupational Health and Social Insurance Medicine, Institute of General Practice and Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. nina.osteras@medisin.uio.no
BMC Family Practice
|May 8, 2009
Summary
General practitioners (GPs) improved their ability to assess patients with long-term sick leave through structured functional assessments. This intervention enhanced GP knowledge and self-efficacy, with lasting positive effects observed.
Area of Science:
- Occupational medicine
- Rehabilitation medicine
- General practice
Background:
- Growing emphasis on functional assessments in rehabilitation necessitates a shift for general practitioners (GPs) from symptom-focused to resource-oriented patient evaluation.
- GPs encounter challenges in conducting explicit functional assessments, highlighting a need for structured approaches.
- Long-term sick leave cases require improved functional capacity evaluations within primary care settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To implement and evaluate a structured method for assessing functional ability in patients with long-term sick leave within general practice.
- To assess the intervention's impact on GPs' knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy regarding functional assessments.
- To evaluate changes in GPs' knowledge of patient work factors and stressors.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 57 GPs, with an intervention group receiving a workshop and implementing structured assessments over eight months.
- Data on GP knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy were collected pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at a six-month follow-up.
- Patient and GP evaluations of knowledge regarding patient work factors were recorded immediately after consultations.
Main Results:
- Intervention GPs showed significant increases in knowledge and self-efficacy for functional assessments, sustained at follow-up.
- GPs reported enhanced knowledge of patients' workplace and stressors, with lasting effects.
- Both GPs and patients confirmed improved understanding of patient work factors post-intervention, though attitudes towards assessments did not change.
Conclusions:
- Implementing structured functional assessments empowers GPs to evaluate patient functional ability systematically.
- The intervention led to sustained improvements in GP knowledge and self-efficacy in assessing patients with long-term sick leave.
- The structured approach enhances the assessment of patient resources and coping mechanisms in primary care.
