General practitioners in the field: A qualitative study of general practitioners' experiences in disaster healthcare
Date
2020
Authors
Burns, Penelope
Douglas, Kirsty
Hu, Wendy
Aitken, Peter
Raphael, Beverly
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
Abstract
Background
General practitioners'(GPs') usual
professional roles are clearly defined in
communities; however, during disasters,
their roles become ill defined, ad hoc
and opportunistic.
Objective
The aim of this study was to examine the
experiences and changed roles of GPs
when disaster struck their communities.
Methods
A qualitative study using semi-structured
interviews was conducted with a
purposive sample of GPs who had
experienced disasters in Australia or New
Zealand (NZ) between 2009 and 2016.
Transcripts underwent thematic analysis.
Results
Thirty-eight GPs reported diverse and
effective contributions to disasterresponse
efforts. Four main themes
emerged: GPs responded spontaneously
to contribute; GPs adapted their usual
expertise to provide disaster healthcare;
personal and professional challenges
experienced were consistent across
different types of disaster; and unlike
Australian GPs, NZ GPs felt better
integrated and valued in the broader
disaster-response system.
Discussion
The results document GPs� roles and
experiences in disaster healthcare and
highlight how GPs contribute to meeting
crucial healthcare needs in communities
during and following disasters. Better
defining, integrating and supporting GP
roles in disaster systems is likely to
improve disaster healthcare.
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Source
Australian Journal of General Practice
Type
Journal article
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Restricted until
2037-12-31
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