1. Do General Practitioners in a Visiting Medical Officer Arrangement Improve the Perceived Quality of Care of Rural and Remote Patients? A Qualitative Study in Australia.
- Author
-
Sutarsa, I Nyoman, Kasim, Rosny, Steward, Ben, Bain-Donohue, Suzanne, Slimings, Claudia, Hall Dykgraaf, Sally, and Barnard, Amanda
- Subjects
RURAL health clinics ,PERCEIVED quality ,GENERAL practitioners ,MEDICAL quality control ,MEDICAL care ,RURAL health services - Abstract
Background: In rural and remote Australia, general practitioners (GPs) provide care across the continuum from primary to secondary care, often in Visiting Medical Officer (VMO) arrangements with a local hospital. However, little is known about the role of GP-VMOs in improving the perceived quality of care and health outcomes for rural and remote communities. Methods: We collected qualitative data from three GP-VMOs (all aged >55 years) and 10 patients (all aged over 65 years) in three local health districts of New South Wales, Australia. Thirteen in-depth interviews were conducted between October 2020 and February 2021. We employed thematic analysis to identify key roles of GP-VMOs in improving the perceived quality of care and health outcomes of rural and remote patients. Results: Our study advances the current understanding regarding the role of GP-VMOs in improving the perceived quality of services and health outcomes of rural and remote patients. Key roles of GP-VMOs in improving the perceived quality of care include promoting the continuity of care and integrated health services, cultivating trust from local communities, and enhancing the satisfaction of patients. Conclusions: GP-VMOs work across primary and secondary care creating better linkages and promoting the continuity of care for rural and remote communities. Employing GP-VMOs in rural hospitals enables the knowledge and sensitivity gained from their ongoing interactions with patients in primary care to be effectively utilised in the delivery of hospital care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF