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Sante Publique (Vandoeuvre-Les-Nancy, France)
|June 20, 2022
Summary
General practitioners (GPs) often use medical secretaries and dedicated slots for managing unscheduled care (UC). While structured UC management is common, GPs require support for territorial organization.
Area of Science:
- General Practice
- Healthcare Management
- Public Health
Background:
- Unscheduled care (UC) presents a significant challenge, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- UC impacts hospital emergency services and reflects a gap between healthcare demand and provision.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe how general practitioners (GPs) in South-West France organize the management of unscheduled care (UC).
Main Methods:
- A mixed-methods approach combining a cross-sectional descriptive study via self-questionnaire.
- Qualitative data collection through semi-structured interviews.
Main Results:
- 79% of GPs delegate hotline management to medical secretaries.
- 67% have specific UC management structures, often using dedicated appointment slots.
- 88% offer structured UC management, with secretaries playing key roles in triage, regulation, and scheduling.
- Group work facilitates equitable UC response and home visits but faces challenges in broader territorial implementation.
Conclusions:
- Most GPs have adopted structured, shared UC management strategies.
- Support is needed for GPs to enhance territorial organization, potentially through professional communities.