University of Twente Student Theses
Barriers and facilitators for general practitioners towards using a decision-support tool regarding referring patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain : a usability study
Braake, Juliët ter (2022) Barriers and facilitators for general practitioners towards using a decision-support tool regarding referring patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain : a usability study.
|
PDF
1MB |
| Abstract: | Background: Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) is considered a multifactorial problem. The complexity and comorbidity of CMP make it difficult to define a single classification system for CMP patients, potentially leading to inadequate referrals by GPs. Clinical decision-support tools help GPs with better-informed referrals. Objective: The main goal of this study is to investigate barriers and facilitators for GPs towards using a decision-support tool recently developed to refer CMP patients. To achieve this, usability tests with additional interviews were conducted to answer the following question: ‘Which factors are facilitating and which factors hinder GPs from using a decision-support tool regarding the referral of CMP patients?’ Methods: GPs (N=6) all working in the East of the Netherlands, were recruited. The decision-support tool was evaluated with scenario-based think-aloud usability tests and additional interviews. Findings were recorded via video recordings, transcribed verbatim, and analysed in Atlas.ti using deductive coding. Results: Facilitators for GPs towards using the decision-support tool for the referral of CMP patients include its user-friendliness, the decision-support tool fits in well with GPs’ regular method of working, it takes little effort to click through the decision-support tool, its facilitation of shared decision making, and a basic layout of the decision-support tool. Barriers were found as the decision-support tool decides per answer to a question if there will be a follow-up question or if the patient can be referred while leaving other important questions unanswered and concerning the high workload experienced by GPs. Conclusion: The decision-support tool was found to be useful for GPs in the referral of patients with CMP due to the facilitating factors described above. However, due to the high workload of GPs, implementing the decision-support tool within a clinical consultation setting may not be feasible at this point. Recommendations: Due to the high workload of GPs, developing a short decision-support tool consisting of two questions for the GPs to investigate if they can refer patients with CMP directly to an expertise centre for pain and revalidation may be more feasible for GPs. Furthermore, designing the tool so that all patient-related factors are taken into account for a referral outcome is recommended to enhance the effectiveness of the tool and to improve GPs’ levels of satisfaction with the referral outcomes of the decision-support tool. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology MSc (66604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/92559 |
| Export this item as: | BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager |
Show download statistics for this publication
Show download statistics for this publicationRepository Staff Only: item control page