The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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Meta Analysis
Prevalence of Burnout among General Practitioners: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Burnout is a work-related syndrome documented to have negative consequences for GPs and their patients. ⋯ Moderate to high GP burnout exists worldwide. However, substantial variations in how burnout is characterised and operationalised has resulted in considerable heterogeneity in GP burnout prevalence estimates. This highlights the challenge of developing a uniform approach, and the importance of considering GPs' work context to better characterise burnout.
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Doctors' organisations in the UK have reported worrying levels of work-related stress and burnout in the GP workforce for some time, and the COVID-19 pandemic has presented clear new challenges. ⋯ This review of international evidence demonstrates that the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected GPs' wellbeing around the world. Further research could explore gender and age differences, identifying interventions targeted to these groups.
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Good access to primary care is an important determinant of population health. While the academic literature on access to care emphasises its complexity, policies aimed at improving access to general practice in the UK have tended to focus on measurable aspects, such as timeliness or number of appointments. ⋯ An understanding of access as 'human fit' has the potential to address longstanding problems of access within general practice, focusing attention on the need for staff training and support, and emphasising the importance of continuity of care.
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The diversification of types of staff delivering primary care may affect professional, population, and system outcomes. ⋯ Professional, population, and system outcomes showed a variety of associations with primary care workforce composition. Having additional nurses was associated with lower quality in some aspects, and higher costs and activity. The association between additional healthcare professionals or health associate professionals and higher costs was less than that for additional GPs, but was also linked to lower patient and GP satisfaction.