ArticleThe British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners2011
Holding relationships in primary care: a qualitative exploration of doctors' and patients' perceptions.
Article in The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
27 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
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- Continuity of primary care and end-of-life care costs in dementia: a retrospective cohort study.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2026Article
- Complex mental health difficulties: a mixed-methods study in primary care.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2026Article
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- Patients' loyalty to primary care institutions and associated factors in China: a cross-sectional study.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Primary healthcare competencies needed in the management of person-centred integrated care for chronic illness and multimorbidity: Results of a scoping review.BMC primary care · 2023Article
- Mutual Role Expectations by Patients and General Practitioners-A Mixed Methods Study on Complementarity.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Frail Older People Ageing in Place in Italy: Use of Health Services and Relationship with General Practitioner.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Patient perspectives on the management of COPD and Type 2 Diabetes in general practice: an interview study.BMC primary care · 2022Article
- General practitioners' perceptions of treatment of chronically ill patients managed in general practice: An interview study.The European journal of general practice · 2021Article
- Factors affecting patient enablement in an Asian setting: a mixed methods study.Singapore medical journal · 2020Article
- Hope, disappointment and perseverance: Reflections of people with Myalgic encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Multiple Sclerosis participating in biomedical research. A qualitative focus group study.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2019Article
- The patient, the doctor, and the patient's loyalty: a qualitative study in French general practice.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2016Article
- The implications of living with heart failure; the impact on everyday life, family support, co-morbidities and access to healthcare: a secondary qualitative analysis.BMC family practice · 2016Article
- Physician Enabling Skills Questionnaire: Validation of a newly developed instrument in primary health care.Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien · 2015Article
- Patients' assessments of the continuity of primary care in Finland: a 15-year follow-up questionnaire survey.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2014Article
- Responses to concerns about child maltreatment: a qualitative study of GPs in England.BMJ open · 2013Article
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4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOngoing doctor-patient relationships are integral to the patient-centred ideals of UK general practice, particularly for patients with chronic conditions or complex health problems. 'Holding', a doctor-patient relationship defined as establishing and maintaining a trusting, constant, reliable relationship that is concerned with ongoing support without expectation of cure, has previously been suggested as a management strategy for such patients.
aimTo explore urban GPs' and patients' experiences of the management of chronic illness, with a particular focus on holding relationships. DESIGN AND
settingA qualitative study in urban and suburban areas of north west England.
methodParticipating GPs recruited registered patients with chronic illness with whom they felt they had established a holding relationship. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews and subjected to constant comparative qualitative analysis.
resultsGP responders considered holding to be a small but routine part of their work. Benefits described included providing support to patients but also containing demands on secondary care. Patient responders, all with complex ongoing needs, described the relationship with their GP as a reassuring, positive, and securing partnership. Both GP and patient responders emphasised the importance of pre-existing knowledge of past life-story, and valued holding as a potential tool for changing health-related behaviour. Difficulties with holding work included fears of dependency, and problems of access.
conclusionHolding relationships are a routine part of general practice, valued by both GPs and patients. Naming and valuing holding work may legitimise this activity in the management of people with chronic and complex health problems.
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