ArticleThe British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners2016
Worrying about wasting GP time as a barrier to help-seeking: a community-based, qualitative study.
Article in The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
33 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Reasons why people do not attend NHS Health Checks: a systematic review and qualitative synthesis.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2018Pooled it
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- Expanding general practice with interprofessional teams: a mixed-methods patient perspective study.BMC health services research · 2023Article
- "I don't know what I'm feeling for": young women's beliefs about breast cancer risk and experiences of breast awareness.BMC women's health · 2023Article
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- Who Presents Where? A Population-Based Analysis of Socio-Demographic Inequalities in Head and Neck Cancer Patients' Referral Routes.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Factors influencing symptom appraisal and help-seeking of older adults with possible cancer: a mixed-methods systematic review.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2022Article
- Stuff you think you can handle as a parent and stuff you can't'. Understanding parental health-seeking behaviour when accessing unscheduled care: A qualitative study.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2021Article
- Adherence and the Moral Construction of the Self: A Narrative Analysis of Anticoagulant Medication.Qualitative health research · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundWorrying about wasting GP time is frequently cited as a barrier to help-seeking for cancer symptoms.
aimTo explore the circumstances under which individuals feel that they are wasting GP time. DESIGN AND
settingCommunity-based, qualitative interview studies that took place in London, the South East and the North West of England.
methodInterviewees (n = 62) were recruited from a sample (n = 2042) of adults aged ≥50 years, who completed a 'health survey' that included a list of cancer 'alarm' symptoms. Individuals who reported symptoms at baseline that were still present at the 3-month follow-up (n = 271), and who had also consented to be contacted (n = 215), constituted the pool of people invited for interview. Analyses focused on accounts of worrying about wasting GP time.
resultsParticipants were worried about wasting GP time when time constraints were visible, while dismissive interactions with their GP induced a worry of unnecessary help-seeking. Many felt that symptoms that were not persistent, worsening, or life-threatening did not warrant GP attention. Additionally, patients considered it time-wasting when they perceived attention from nurses or pharmacists to be sufficient, or when appointment structures (for example, 'one issue per visit') were not adhered to. Close relationships with GPs eased worries about time-wasting, while some patients saw GPs as fulfilling a service financed by taxpayers.
conclusionWorrying about wasting GP time is a complex barrier to help-seeking. GP time and resource scarcity, symptom gravity, appointment etiquette, and previous GP interactions contribute to increasing worries. Friendly GP relationships, economic reasoning, and a focus on the GP's responsibilities as a medical professional reduce this worry.
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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.