ArticleThe British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners2001
Managing patient demand: a qualitative study of appointment making in general practice.
Article in The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2001. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Impact of the clinically oriented roles of a general practice receptionist: a systematic review with narrative synthesis.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2025Pooled it
- Patients' experiences of an open access follow up arrangement in managing inflammatory bowel disease.Quality & safety in health care · 2004Trial
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- Mapping policies, regulations, and practice supports for medical office assistants in primary care: a scoping review.BMC primary care · 2026Article
- Elevating an invisible role: co-designing solutions to optimize medical office assistants in primary care.BMC primary care · 2026Article
- Primary health care provider availability and accessibility: a comparison of responses from providers and their office staff, results from the Models and Access Atlas of Primary Care - Nova Scotia (MAAP-NS) population study.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Understanding access to general practice through the lens of candidacy: a critical review of the literature.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2024Review
- Understanding the invisible workforce: lessons for general practice from a survey of receptionists.BMC primary care · 2022Article
- A quantitative assessment of the parameters of the role of receptionists in modern primary care using the work design framework.BMC family practice · 2020Article
- Exploring the clinically orientated roles of the general practice receptionist: a systematic review protocol.Systematic reviews · 2017Article
- Adaption, implementation and evaluation of collaborative service improvements in the testing and result communication process in primary care from patient and staff perspectives: a qualitative study.BMC health services research · 2017Article
- Protocol for using mixed methods and process improvement methodologies to explore primary care receptionist work.BMJ open · 2016Article
- Experiences of primary care professionals providing healthcare to recently arrived migrants: a qualitative study.BMJ open · 2016Article
- Receptionist rECognition and rEferral of Patients with Stroke (RECEPTS): unannounced simulated patient telephone call study in primary care.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2015Article
- Article
- Receptionist rECognition and rEferral of PaTients with Stroke (RECEPTS) study - protocol of a mixed methods study.BMC family practice · 2014Article
- Front desk talk: discourse analysis of receptionist-patient interaction.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2009Article
- A qualitative study in rural and urban areas on whether--and how--to consult during routine and out of hours.BMC family practice · 2006Article
- Qualitative insights into practice time management: does 'patient-centred time' in practice management offer a portal to improved access?The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2002Article
- Progress with relationship continuity 2012, a British perspective.International journal of integrated careArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundManaging patients' requests for appointments is an important general practice activity. No previous research has systematically observed how patients and receptionists negotiate appointments.
aimTo observe appointment making and investigate patients' and professionals' experiences of appointment negotiations. DESIGN OF STUDY: A qualitative study using participant observation.
settingThree general practices on Tyneside; a single-handed practice, a practice comprising three doctors, and a seven-doctor practice.
methodParticipant observation sessions, consisting of 35 activity recordings and 34 periods of observation and 38 patient and 15 professional interviews, were set up. Seven groups of patients were selected for interview. These included patients attending an 'open access' surgery, patients who complained about making an appointment, and patients who complimented the receptionists.
resultsAppointment making is a complex social process. Outcomes are dependent on the process of negotiation and factors, such as patients' expectations and appointment availability. Receptionists felt that patients in employment, patients allocated to the practice by the Health Authority, and patients who did not comply with practice appointment rules were most demanding. Appointment requests are legitimised by receptionists enforcing practice rules and requesting clinical information. Patients volunteer information to provide evidence that their complaint is appropriate and employ strategies, such as persistence, assertiveness, and threats, to try and persuade receptionists to grant appointments.
conclusionAppointment making is a complex social process where outcomes are negotiated. Receptionists have an important role in managing patient demand. Practices should be explicit about how appointments are allocated, including publishing practice criteria.
Indexed as
Identifiers
11458480PMC1313977What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.