Tag: patients

Improving access to healthcare for and with people with multiple disadvantage

Posted on by capcbristol

General practice teams changed their services to better include patients with severe and multiple disadvantage (SMD) after facilitated collaboration with people with lived experience according to a paper published in the British Journal of General Practice. Implementing these changes brought joy and satisfaction to general practice staff and increased connections with patients and community organisations.

People sitting on a beach watching the sunset with their hands joined together to make a heart shape.

The changes which were implemented using existing funding available to general practices included:

  • using care coordinators and a micro-team to advocate and work with a specially created patient list
  • prioritising flexible access and longer appointments to patients in greater need
  • promoting a trauma-informed approach throughout the whole practice team.

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Patients face uncertainty during diagnostic process for coeliac disease

Posted on by capcbristol

Patients experience uncertainty when following the traditional diagnostic pathway for coeliac disease, according to a study published in the British Journal of General Practice (BJGP).

Close up of person having stomach pain

The study team from the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol and NIHR ARC West suggested that GPs could improve this by:

  • keeping coeliac disease in mind as a possible diagnosis
  • sharing information on blood tests.

Researchers also discussed how the uncertainty patients experience during testing for coeliac disease needs to be addressed when considering diagnostic pathway changes, such as a move towards using only blood test results for diagnosis.

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Trauma-informed approaches in healthcare: piecemeal implementation needs UK-wide leadership, strategy and evidence

Posted on by capcbristol

The implementation of trauma-informed approaches in UK healthcare requires policy commitment, leadership support and a solid evidence base. According to a recent study by researchers at the University of Bristol, these approaches can prevent re-traumatisation in services and improve experiences and outcomes for both patients and staff. The results of the study, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR BRC), have been summarised for policy makers in a new PolicyBristol report.

Illustration showing a change cycle reading: modfy-transition-transform-shift-adjust.

Traumatic experiences resulting from childhood adversities, domestic abuse, violence, and social injustice can lead to mental and physical illnesses, homelessness, drug and alcohol use, and imprisonment. In England, nearly half of adults have experienced at least one childhood adversity, and up to 29 per cent of women and 13 per cent of men have experienced domestic abuse during their lifetime, costing the UK economy £14 billion annually.

A trauma-informed approach in healthcare recognises that any patient and healthcare staff member may have been affected by trauma. It involves organisational changes that incorporate knowledge about the prevalence and impacts of trauma into healthcare policies and practices. This approach aims to create safe environments, promote physical and emotional safety for all, and prevent re-traumatisation.

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