Co-located welfare advice in general practice: A realist qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Primary Care
• Health Services Research
• Social Determinants of Health

Background:

• General practitioners (GPs) increasingly address non-health issues like benefits and debt.
• Co-located welfare advice services offer potential support but focus is on patient, not practice, outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• Develop a programme theory for co-located advice impacting practice outcomes.
• Identify barriers and facilitators to successful co-location.

Main Methods:

• 24 semi-structured interviews with general practice staff, advice staff, and funders in UK urban areas.
• Modified Realist Evaluation approach for data collection and analysis (Jan-Jul 2016).

Main Results:

• Key practice outcomes: reduced GP consultations and time spent on non-health issues.
• Facilitators: proactive engagement, communication, and broad service access.
• Barriers: ingrained norms perceiving GPs as the sole point of contact.

Conclusions:

• Co-location alone is insufficient for positive practice outcomes.
• Interventions enhancing awareness, access, and service scope are needed to maximize co-location benefits.