Practice-based small group learning (PBSGL) with mixed groups of general practitioners and secondary care doctors: a qualitative study

ABSTRACT

General practitioners (GPs) and secondary care doctors share a common background of learning together whilst at medical school but their learning paths diverge after specialist qualification. Reconnect is an initiative in NHS Grampian in Scotland which offered a variety of shared activities, including learning, to both groups of medical practitioners. One learning activity was of Practice-Based Small Group Learning (PBSGL) which has proved popular with primary care clinicians. Groups drawn from both health care sectors were started and met over a five month pilot period. A qualitative research method was chosen to identify the perceptions and experiences of participants. They were interviewed in one-to-one telephone interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using grounded theory methods. Two PBSGL groups were formed with a total of 13 members. One group met twice in the pilot period and the other group met only once. Nine participants were interviewed and four main themes emerged from analysis of the data. Reasons for participation were often related to a desire to improve working relationships between the two sectors and to increase understanding. Practitioners learned about how working conditions and team working affected the working lives of the other sector. Participants found the logistics of arranging further meetings challenging and considered they had a lack of shared learning time together. Considerations to the future of the project were positive but this contrasted with the few meetings that had taken place.

KEYWORDS:

• General practitioners
• continuing professional development
• Secondary care doctors

Acknowledgments

The authors thank all research participants for participating in the interviews and for the assistance of Dr Jenny Craig and Professor Kim Ah-See of NHS Grampian Reconnect. The authors thank Alan Gillies from the Digital directorate in NES for help with the literature search, and to administrative staff for preparing the transcripts.

Disclosure statement

DC and LS are employed by NHS Education for Scotland.

Ethical approval

As this was an evaluation of an educational service the authors considered formal ethical approval was not required. This was confirmed by advice from the NHS Research Ethics Committee.