[Dealing with uncertainty--the hypermodernity of general practice]

Area of Science:

• Primary Care Medicine
• Sociology of Health
• Qualitative Research

Context:

• General practitioners (GPs) operate within a complex primary care setting.
• The nature of uncertainty in medical practice is a significant challenge.
• Existing frameworks may not fully capture the dynamic aspects of GP uncertainty.

Purpose:

• To analyze uncertainty as a performative effect within the primary care environment.
• To explore the general practitioner's capacity for managing and utilizing uncertainty.
• To characterize the GP's ability to bear uncertainty as a hypermodern skill.

Summary:

• Uncertainty in general practice is not an inherent condition but a result of the primary care setting's dynamics.
• GPs actively perform and shape uncertainty through their interactions and decision-making processes.
• The ability of GPs to productively engage with and tolerate uncertainty is a key characteristic of contemporary medical practice.

Impact:

• Provides a novel understanding of uncertainty in primary care, moving beyond a static definition.
• Highlights the adaptive and skillful nature of general practitioners in managing ambiguity.
• Offers insights into training and supporting GPs in developing resilience and effective coping mechanisms for uncertainty.