General practitioners and decision-making capacity assessment: the experiences and educational needs of New Zealand general practitioners
- 1 August 2020
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Family Practice
- Vol. 37 (4), 535-540
- https://doi.org/10.1093/fampra/cmaa022
Abstract
Background: Assessing decision-making capacity to health care is within the scope of practice for all doctors, yet the experience of GPs in this area is unknown. Objective: To explore the experiences, perspectives, approaches and challenges for GPs in New Zealand when conducting decision-making capacity assessments. Methods: Qualitative study design comprising individual in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted with a convenience sample of GPs. Interview transcripts were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a thematic analysis approach. Results: Twelve participants were recruited. The following themes emerged: (i) GPs' roles and responsibilities in decision-making capacity assessments; (ii) GPs lack formal training, knowledge, and confidence in decision-making capacity assessments; (iii) the legal interface of decisionmaking capacity assessments; (iv) GPs' relationships with specialists and the resulting impact on their confidence in decision-making capacity assessments; and (v) opportunities to improve GPs' knowledge and confidence in decision-making capacity assessments. Conclusions: GPs take responsibility for decision-making capacity assessments; however, assessments can be complex. There is a need to develop specific curriculum and training resources for GPs to improve their clinical skills and legal knowledge in decision-making capacity assessments.Keywords
Funding Information
- University of Auckland’s Postgraduate Medical Education Grant
This publication has 31 references indexed in Scilit:
- Assessment of Decision-Making Capacity: Views and Experiences of Consultation PsychiatristsPsychosomatics, 2013
- Health-care professionals’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviours relating to patient capacity to consent to treatmentNursing Ethics, 2013
- Substitute consent for nursing home residents prescribed psychotropic medicationInternational Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2008
- Simply no time? Barriers to GPs' participation in primary health care researchFamily Practice, 2008
- Assessment of Patients' Competence to Consent to TreatmentNew England Journal of Medicine, 2007
- Is the degree of cognitive impairment in patients with Alzheimer's disease related to their capacity to appoint an enduring power of attorney?Age and Ageing, 2007
- Using thematic analysis in psychologyQualitative Research in Psychology, 2006
- Ten Myths About Decision-Making CapacityJournal of the American Medical Directors Association, 2005
- Competence to consent to treatment of geriatric patients: judgements of physicians, family members and the vignette methodInternational Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2004
- Qualitative research in health care: Assessing quality in qualitative researchBMJ, 2000