Perceptions of receiving behaviour change interventions from GPs during routine consultations: A qualitative study

Area of Science:

• General Practice
• Health Psychology
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• General Practitioners (GPs) are increasingly expected to deliver health behaviour change interventions.
• Patient perspectives on receiving these interventions during routine consultations are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore patient expectations regarding GPs delivering health behaviour change interventions.
• To understand patient perceptions of the appropriateness and helpfulness of these interventions.
• To investigate patient experiences with behaviour change interventions from their GP.

Main Methods:

• Conducted 24 semi-structured interviews with patients who recently attended a routine GP consultation.
• Utilized thematic analysis to identify key themes in patient experiences and perceptions.

Main Results:

• Patients generally accept and are willing to receive behaviour change interventions from their GP.
• The doctor-patient relationship is viewed as a suitable platform for discussing sensitive health behaviours.
• GPs are perceived as credible and well-placed sources for health advice, even in time-restricted consultations.

Conclusions:

• Patient views indicate a positive reception to GPs providing health behaviour change interventions.
• Interventions are seen as appropriate and helpful, particularly for managing long-term conditions.
• Routine consultations can be effective settings for delivering behaviour change support, leveraging the established clinician-patient rapport.