Whole-person care in general practice: Factors affecting the provision of whole-person care
Hayley Thomas, Megan Best, Geoffrey Mitchell
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Whole-person care (WPC) is a key characteristic of general practice, but it may not be consistently practised. Previous articles in this series suggest a model of WPC that views patients as multidimensional persons; has length, breadth and depth of scope; is founded on a strong doctor-patient relationship and involves a healthcare team. This article reports factors that general practitioners (GPs) believe affect their provision of WPC. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 Australian GPs or general practice registrars and analysed using grounded theory methodology. RESULTS: Participants identified overarching factors (time, perceived value of WPC) and factors related to immediate (interpersonal dynamic), local (practice structure, relationship between care providers) and broader (health system structure) contexts that affect WPC. They volunteered practical suggestions to support WPC. DISCUSSION: GPs believe that multiple factors acting at micro and macro levels affect WPC provision. These findings provide a basis for strategies to support WPC.