Gut feelings in the diagnostic process of Spanish GPs: a focus group study

Objectives: The gut feelings of doctors can act as triggers and modulators of the diagnostic process. This study explored the existence, significance, determinants and triggers of gut feelings among Spanish general practitioners. Design: Qualitative study using focus groups. Thematic content analysi...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Authors: Oliva-Fanlo, Bernardino; March, Sebastia; Gadea-Ruiz, Cristina; Stolper, Erik; Esteva, Magdalena
Format: Article
Publication date:2016
Country:España
Institution:Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
Repository:Repisalud
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:repisalud.isciii.es:20.500.12105/20236
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12105/20236
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria
Femenino
Actitud del Personal de Salud
Masculino
Competencia Clínica
Humanos
Persona de Mediana Edad
Investigación Cualitativa
Toma de Decisiones
Adulto
Grupos Focales
España
Médicos Generales
Focus Groups
Decision Making
Spain
Adult
Humans
Clinical Competence
Middle Aged
Male
General Practitioners
Attitude of Health Personnel
Family Practice
Female
Qualitative Research
_version_ 1878731851707711489
author Oliva-Fanlo, Bernardino
author2 March, Sebastia
Gadea-Ruiz, Cristina
Stolper, Erik
Esteva, Magdalena
author2_role author
author
author
author
author_browse Esteva, Magdalena
Gadea-Ruiz, Cristina
March, Sebastia
Oliva-Fanlo, Bernardino
Stolper, Erik
author_facet Oliva-Fanlo, Bernardino
March, Sebastia
Gadea-Ruiz, Cristina
Stolper, Erik
Esteva, Magdalena
author_role author
collection Repisalud
description Objectives: The gut feelings of doctors can act as triggers and modulators of the diagnostic process. This study explored the existence, significance, determinants and triggers of gut feelings among Spanish general practitioners. Design: Qualitative study using focus groups. Thematic content analysis. Setting: Primary healthcare centres in Majorca (Spain). Participants: 20 purposively sampled general practitioners working in Majorca. Results: General practitioners were aware of the existence of gut feelings in their diagnostic reasoning process and recognised 2 kinds of gut feelings: a sense of alarm and a sense of reassurance. A previous physician-patient relationship and the physician's experience had a strong perceived influence on the appearance of gut feelings. The physicians attached great significance to gut feelings, and considered them as a characteristic of the primary care working style and as a tool available in their diagnostic process. The physicians thought that the notion of gut feelings and their relevance can be transmitted to students and trainees. They tended to follow their gut feelings, although they were not sure of their accuracy. Conclusions: Spanish general practitioners in our study recognise the presence and role of gut feelings in their diagnostic reasoning process. Future research should examine the diagnostic accuracy of gut feelings and how to teach about gut feelings in the training of general practitioners.
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
format article
id ES_37e4fd91c33a01efb0d3dc7be184d7d2
institution Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
instname_str Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
language eng
network_acronym_str ES
network_name_str España
oai_identifier_str oai:repisalud.isciii.es:20.500.12105/20236
publishDate 2016
publishDateSort 2016
publisher BMJ Publishing Group
publisherStr BMJ Publishing Group
reponame_str Repisalud
spelling Gut feelings in the diagnostic process of Spanish GPs: a focus group study Oliva-Fanlo, Bernardino March, Sebastia Gadea-Ruiz, Cristina Stolper, Erik Esteva, Magdalena Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria Femenino Actitud del Personal de Salud Masculino Competencia Clínica Humanos Persona de Mediana Edad Investigación Cualitativa Toma de Decisiones Adulto Grupos Focales España Médicos Generales Focus Groups Decision Making Spain Adult Humans Clinical Competence Middle Aged Male General Practitioners Attitude of Health Personnel Family Practice Female Qualitative Research Objectives: The gut feelings of doctors can act as triggers and modulators of the diagnostic process. This study explored the existence, significance, determinants and triggers of gut feelings among Spanish general practitioners. Design: Qualitative study using focus groups. Thematic content analysis. Setting: Primary healthcare centres in Majorca (Spain). Participants: 20 purposively sampled general practitioners working in Majorca. Results: General practitioners were aware of the existence of gut feelings in their diagnostic reasoning process and recognised 2 kinds of gut feelings: a sense of alarm and a sense of reassurance. A previous physician-patient relationship and the physician's experience had a strong perceived influence on the appearance of gut feelings. The physicians attached great significance to gut feelings, and considered them as a characteristic of the primary care working style and as a tool available in their diagnostic process. The physicians thought that the notion of gut feelings and their relevance can be transmitted to students and trainees. They tended to follow their gut feelings, although they were not sure of their accuracy. Conclusions: Spanish general practitioners in our study recognise the presence and role of gut feelings in their diagnostic reasoning process. Future research should examine the diagnostic accuracy of gut feelings and how to teach about gut feelings in the training of general practitioners. BMJ Publishing Group http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12105/20236
spellingShingle Gut feelings in the diagnostic process of Spanish GPs: a focus group study
Oliva-Fanlo, Bernardino
Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria
Femenino
Actitud del Personal de Salud
Masculino
Competencia Clínica
Humanos
Persona de Mediana Edad
Investigación Cualitativa
Toma de Decisiones
Adulto
Grupos Focales
España
Médicos Generales
Focus Groups
Decision Making
Spain
Adult
Humans
Clinical Competence
Middle Aged
Male
General Practitioners
Attitude of Health Personnel
Family Practice
Female
Qualitative Research
title Gut feelings in the diagnostic process of Spanish GPs: a focus group study
title_full Gut feelings in the diagnostic process of Spanish GPs: a focus group study
title_fullStr Gut feelings in the diagnostic process of Spanish GPs: a focus group study
title_full_unstemmed Gut feelings in the diagnostic process of Spanish GPs: a focus group study
title_short Gut feelings in the diagnostic process of Spanish GPs: a focus group study
title_sort Gut feelings in the diagnostic process of Spanish GPs: a focus group study
topic Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria
Femenino
Actitud del Personal de Salud
Masculino
Competencia Clínica
Humanos
Persona de Mediana Edad
Investigación Cualitativa
Toma de Decisiones
Adulto
Grupos Focales
España
Médicos Generales
Focus Groups
Decision Making
Spain
Adult
Humans
Clinical Competence
Middle Aged
Male
General Practitioners
Attitude of Health Personnel
Family Practice
Female
Qualitative Research
topic_facet Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria
Femenino
Actitud del Personal de Salud
Masculino
Competencia Clínica
Humanos
Persona de Mediana Edad
Investigación Cualitativa
Toma de Decisiones
Adulto
Grupos Focales
España
Médicos Generales
Focus Groups
Decision Making
Spain
Adult
Humans
Clinical Competence
Middle Aged
Male
General Practitioners
Attitude of Health Personnel
Family Practice
Female
Qualitative Research
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12105/20236