OPTIC-GP: Optimising Proportionate Continuity in General Practice.
Supervisors:
Dr David Blane , School of Health & Wellbeing
Professor Sara Macdonald , School of Health & Wellbeing
Professor Mhairi Mackenzie , School of Social & Political Sciences
Dr Nic Dickson , School of Health & Wellbeing
Summary:
Reducing health inequalities is a strategic priority for governments worldwide. Most drivers of health inequalities lie outside the health system, but it is increasingly recognised that the distribution and quality of health care is an important health determinant, and the concept of “proportionate universalism” (PU) – that resources should be distributed with a scale and intensity that is proportional to the level of disadvantage – has gained significant policy interest.
Alongside PU, there are renewed efforts to promote relational continuity of care in general practice (GP), which has been eroded in the past decade due to factors such as rising workload, declining GP workforce, and increasing use of remote consulting. Evidence for the benefits of relational continuity of care is substantial, but some people (e.g. those who are older, have multiple long-term conditions, or socio-economic disadvantage) are likely to benefit the most and “proportionate continuity” has been proposed for those with greatest needs.
This novel and interdisciplinary fellowship will advance understanding of proportionate continuity in GP as a mechanism for mitigating health inequalities. The Fellow will work with stakeholders in GP (including patients, practitioners and policy makers) to co-design practice-based interventions for proportionate continuity, which are scalable for future definitive trial testing.