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Evolution of the general practice receptionist role and online services: a qualitative study
Stephanie Stockwell1, Helen Atherton2,3, Carol Bryce4
1RAND Europe, Cambridge, UK.
Summary
General practice receptionists manage complex patient demand, including new digital services. This evolving role requires new skills but often lacks formal training, impacting consistency and job satisfaction.
Area of Science:
- Primary Care
- Health Services Research
Background:
- General practice receptionists act as gatekeepers to primary care.
- Their role is crucial for managing patient demand and care facilitation.
- The role is increasingly complex due to digitalization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the evolving role of general practice receptionists.
- To understand the impact of patient-facing online services on their role.
- To identify implications for training and job satisfaction.
Main Methods:
- Focused ethnographic case study in eight English general practices.
- 19 stakeholder interviews conducted between September 2021 and July 2022.
Main Results:
- The receptionist role is more varied and less repetitive than historically.
- Receptionists manage complex demand and service navigation, including digital facilitation.
- Training is largely informal, learned on the job, leading to inconsistent practices.
Conclusions:
- Digitalization impacts general practice receptionist workflow and task consistency.
- Evolving skill requirements have implications for recruitment, training, job satisfaction, and retention.
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