Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27940631›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2016

Gut feelings in the diagnostic process of Spanish GPs: a focus group study.

Bernardino Oliva, Sebastià March, Cristina Gadea, Erik Stolper, Magdalena Esteva

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
17citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.5field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 25 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Understanding the role of GPs' gut feelings in diagnosing cancer in primary care: a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing evidence.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2020
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Physicians' appraisal of parental concerns: a qualitative assessment.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
  6. How patients in general practice voice and value their gut feelings about health: a qualitative interview study.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2023
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Review
  11. Article
  12. GPs' use of gut feelings when assessing cancer risk: a qualitative study in UK primary care.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2021
    Article
  13. GPs' suspicion of child abuse: how does it arise and what is the follow-up?Scandinavian journal of primary health care · 2020
    Article
  14. Observational
  15. Observational
  16. Article
  17. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.

Bernardino OlivaMajorca Primary Care Department, Trencadors Primary Health Centre, Llucmajor, Spain.ORCID 0000-0001-7861-1168
Sebastià MarchMajorca Primary Care Department, Research Unit, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Cristina GadeaMajorca Primary Care Department, Playa de Palma Primary Health Centre, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Erik StolperFaculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Department of General Practice, Caphri School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Magdalena EstevaMajorca Primary Care Department, Research Unit, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Servei de Salut de les Illes Balears · ESUniversity of Antwerp · BE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThe gut feelings of doctors can act as triggers and modulators of the diagnostic process. This study explored the existence, significance, determinants and triggers of gut feelings among Spanish general practitioners.

designQualitative study using focus groups. Thematic content analysis.

settingPrimary healthcare centres in Majorca (Spain).

participants20 purposively sampled general practitioners working in Majorca.

resultsGeneral practitioners were aware of the existence of gut feelings in their diagnostic reasoning process and recognised 2 kinds of gut feelings: a sense of alarm and a sense of reassurance. A previous physician-patient relationship and the physician's experience had a strong perceived influence on the appearance of gut feelings. The physicians attached great significance to gut feelings, and considered them as a characteristic of the primary care working style and as a tool available in their diagnostic process. The physicians thought that the notion of gut feelings and their relevance can be transmitted to students and trainees. They tended to follow their gut feelings, although they were not sure of their accuracy.

conclusionsSpanish general practitioners in our study recognise the presence and role of gut feelings in their diagnostic reasoning process. Future research should examine the diagnostic accuracy of gut feelings and how to teach about gut feelings in the training of general practitioners.

Indexed as

Attitude of Health PersonnelAdultClinical CompetenceDecision MakingFamily PracticeFemaleFocus GroupsGeneral PractitionersHumansMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchSpainDiagnosticsIntuitionMEDICAL EDUCATION & TRAININGPRIMARY CAREQUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Identifiers

PMID27940631
PMCPMC5168664
OpenAlexW2560226411

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.