Establishing a Deep End GP group: a scoping review.

Area of Science:

• General Practice
• Health Equity
• Public Health

Background:

• General Practitioners (GPs) in deprived areas face higher mortality rates and persistent health inequities.
• The 'inverse care law' highlights disparities in healthcare access and outcomes.
• Deep End GP groups are grassroots initiatives aiming to reduce these health gaps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map the process of establishing Deep End GP groups using a scoping methodology.
• To identify key steps and collaborative elements in creating these initiatives.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review was conducted following the Arksey and O'Malley framework.
• Searches included MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, and non-peer-reviewed literature.
• Iterative inclusion criteria guided article extraction, review, and analysis.

Main Results:

• Sixteen articles were analyzed from an initial 35.
• Key steps include identifying high-need patients and practices, setting GP-led objectives, and forming collaborative steering groups.
• Collaboration between academic and frontline general practice, along with multidisciplinary teams, is crucial.

Conclusions:

• Deep End GP groups demonstrate progress in mitigating the health effects of systemic inequities.
• Establishing these groups requires a multidisciplinary approach, starting with identifying areas of greatest need.
• This review provides guidance for initiating Deep End GP groups and joining the movement.