Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38128966›Full record

ArticleBJGP open2024

How to address the inverse care law and increase GP recruitment in areas of socioeconomic deprivation: a qualitative study of GP trainees' views and experiences in the UK.

Matthew J Armstrong, Josephine M Wildman, Sarah Sowden

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BJGP open, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. At the Deep End of dental inequality.British dental journal · 2025
    Article
  3. Primary care stability as a social determinant.Frontiers in health services · 2025
    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

3 authors.

Matthew J ArmstrongPopulation Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK matthew.armstrong5@nhs.net.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8612-3495
Josephine M WildmanPopulation Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9669-6708
Sarah SowdenPopulation Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9359-3463

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe Deep End network in the North East and North Cumbria (NENC) was set up to tackle health inequalities in general practice. One aim is to address the inverse care law and improve recruitment of GPs, which is known to be especially challenging in areas of socioeconomic deprivation.

aimTo explore GP trainees' experiences and perceptions of working in Deep End or Deprived Area Practices (DE/DAPs) to identify how GP recruitment can be improved. DESIGN &

settingQualitative study recruiting 13 doctors training to be GPs from the Northumbria training programme.

methodAudio-recorded, online, semi-structured interviews and discussion groups were undertaken, transcribed verbatim, and analysed with a grounded theory approach, using a process of thematic analysis.

resultsOverall, seven interviews and two discussion groups (13 participants in total) were conducted. Three themes were identified. The first theme was working in areas of socioeconomic deprivation is challenging but has many advantages. The challenges of working in DE/DAPs were not deterring factors for GP trainees wanting to work in areas of socioeconomic deprivation. The second theme was trainees are willing to work in areas of socioeconomic deprivation but clinical experience is important. Training in DE/DAPs gives trainees the confidence to work in areas of deprivation. Familiarity with a practice also makes them more likely to stay post-training. The third theme was financial incentives are not an important attracting factor but support and development opportunities are. Non-pecuniary measures, such as clinical support and protected time for continuing professional development (CPD), were found to be important.

conclusionTo improve recruitment to DE/DAPs, investments should be made to increase the opportunities to train in these environments. This can be achieved by supporting more DE/DAPs to become training practices, and providing clinical support and protected time for CPD.

Indexed as

family medicinegeneral practitionershealth inequitiesqualitative research

Identifiers

PMID38128966
PMCPMC11300987

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.