Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39443868›Full record

ArticleBMC primary care2024

Where do UK clinicians find information at the point of care? A pragmatic, exploratory study.

Margaret McCartney, Kate Connolly, Frank Sullivan, Carl Heneghan, Elijah Yu Heng Ho, Brid Hendry, Charlotte Salisbury, Sam Offer, David Nunan

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC primary care, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

9 authors.

Margaret McCartneySchool of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9TF, UK. mm494@st-andrews.ac.uk.
Kate ConnollySchool of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9TF, UK.
Frank SullivanSchool of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9TF, UK.
Carl HeneghanNuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Primary Care Building, Oxford, Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Rd, OX2 6GG, UK.
Elijah Yu Heng HoSchool of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9TF, UK.
Brid HendryUniversity of Glasgow Medical School, Wolfson Medical School Building,University Ave, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
Charlotte SalisburySchool of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9TF, UK.
Sam OfferSchool of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9TF, UK.
David NunanNuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Primary Care Building, Oxford, Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Rd, OX2 6GG, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimTo describe where clinical information is contemporarily and commonly found in UK primary care, what is favoured by clinicians, and whether this is (1) publicly funded (2) has commercial potential conflicts of interest. DESIGN AND

settingA mixed methods study, consisting of (1) site visits to general practices in Scotland, (2) online questionnaire, focused on UK general practice (3) analysis of materials cited by professionals.

methodsData about sources of clinical information used was obtained verbally, visually and via search histories on computers from visits. This was used to inform a questionnaire in which primary care clinicians in the four nations of the UK were invited to participate. This obtained data about the information sources used and preferred by clinicians. This information was searched for data about funding and conflicts of interest.

resultsOver 2022, four practices were visited. 337 clinicians, 280 of whom were general practitioners completed an online questionnaire. 136 different resources were identified. These were mainly websites but sources of information included colleagues, either in practice or through online networks, apps, local guidelines, health charities, and learning resources aimed at GPs. Of these, 70 were not publicly funded, and were a mixture of membership organisations, charities, or sponsored venues.

conclusionsPrimary care clinicians obtain information for themselves and patients from a wide variety of sources. Funding is from a variety of sources and some contain advertising and/or sponsorship, risking commercial bias. PROTOCOL: Pre-published at https://osf.io/wrzqk .

Indexed as

Primary Health CareConflict of InterestGeneral PracticeGeneral PractitionersHumansInformation Seeking BehaviorInternetScotlandSurveys and QuestionnairesUnited KingdomEducationGeneral practiceIT

Identifiers

PMID39443868
PMCPMC11515728

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.