Unveiling healthcare insights for patients and practitioners: a pilot study

Doctors in the UK experience significant heterogeneity in training. Whilst core curricula underpin specialty training, diversity in clinical attachments results in a heterogeneous knowledge base and variation in local practice. Some insights or practices, which have the potential to improve patient care, but which only exist anecdotally or in local rather than national guidance, remain undiscovered and underutilised.

To aggregate examples of such clinical insights; To assess the extent of recommendation and evidence for these insights; To raise awareness of underutilised clinical insights, to highlight areas for further study and dissuade the use of inappropriate or un-evidenced practices.

A qualitative survey seeking free text responses, open to all UK healthcare professionals, was disseminated opportunistically. Responses were recorded and the insights were assessed against the existing evidence base, cost and potential for harm.

29 clinical insights were collated across multiple specialties. Some already formed part of national guidance, but appeared to be underutilised, while others appeared only in local or international guidance. Evidence for some insights was compelling, but often mixed, whilst almost all were rated as low cost and low risk.

We uncovered a range of lesser-known clinical insights across a range of specialties, as well as some less well-evidenced practices. Many insights have the potential to positively impact patient care, particularly in general practice. There is a clear opportunity to draw attention to those insights which offer low-cost, low-risk and potentially effective treatments, whilst highlighting opportunities to further study less well-evidenced insights and practices.