General practice experiences for parents of children with intellectual disability: a systematic review
General practice experiences for parents of children with intellectual disability: a systematic review
Background: parents of children diagnosed with intellectual disability are at increased risk of mental and physical health difficulties compared with other parents. They are likely to regularly seek medical treatment for their health concerns from general practice as well as on behalf of their child with intellectual disability, yet there is limited evaluation of the role general practice plays for this patient group.
Aim: to explore parents' experiences of general practice support when caring for a child with intellectual disability.
Design & setting: systematic review of studies reporting experiences of general practice as described by parents who care for children with intellectual disability.
Method: databases were searched using a pre-defined search strategy. Studies were included based on detailed inclusion criteria, title, abstract, and full-text screening. Quality assessment was conducted using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). A narrative synthesis was conducted.
Results: a total of nine studies were identified. There was a clear absence of data on parents' own health experience and consultation in general practice. Findings related to navigating general practice on behalf of their child's health including accessibility of general practice and positive and negative experiences of GPs.
Conclusion: findings from this review highlight priority areas for research, including further exploration of parents' perspectives on seeking support specifically for their own health concerns, while caring for a child with intellectual disability, to bring more awareness and understanding of the role general practice plays in supporting the health of this carer group. This review also considers implications for clinical services, including tailoring appointments for this patient group as a priority for continuity of care, which may result in improved experiences of general practice and encourage better communication.
Thomas, Nicky
91c6bc18-07fe-4ad7-b223-b5ca9ab1db5b
Atherton, Helen
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Dale, Jeremy
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Smith, Kayla
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Crawford, Hayley
2e6dacb9-9245-40b9-9392-0c476becf8ca
September 2023
Thomas, Nicky
91c6bc18-07fe-4ad7-b223-b5ca9ab1db5b
Atherton, Helen
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Dale, Jeremy
19fccbd2-1661-4d84-8a94-36bedb12a0e2
Smith, Kayla
5e2de122-0357-4f10-8107-f3b1c194f4ca
Crawford, Hayley
2e6dacb9-9245-40b9-9392-0c476becf8ca
Thomas, Nicky, Atherton, Helen, Dale, Jeremy, Smith, Kayla and Crawford, Hayley
(2023)
General practice experiences for parents of children with intellectual disability: a systematic review.
BJGP Open, 7 (3).
(doi:10.3399/BJGPO.2023.0010).
Abstract
Background: parents of children diagnosed with intellectual disability are at increased risk of mental and physical health difficulties compared with other parents. They are likely to regularly seek medical treatment for their health concerns from general practice as well as on behalf of their child with intellectual disability, yet there is limited evaluation of the role general practice plays for this patient group.
Aim: to explore parents' experiences of general practice support when caring for a child with intellectual disability.
Design & setting: systematic review of studies reporting experiences of general practice as described by parents who care for children with intellectual disability.
Method: databases were searched using a pre-defined search strategy. Studies were included based on detailed inclusion criteria, title, abstract, and full-text screening. Quality assessment was conducted using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). A narrative synthesis was conducted.
Results: a total of nine studies were identified. There was a clear absence of data on parents' own health experience and consultation in general practice. Findings related to navigating general practice on behalf of their child's health including accessibility of general practice and positive and negative experiences of GPs.
Conclusion: findings from this review highlight priority areas for research, including further exploration of parents' perspectives on seeking support specifically for their own health concerns, while caring for a child with intellectual disability, to bring more awareness and understanding of the role general practice plays in supporting the health of this carer group. This review also considers implications for clinical services, including tailoring appointments for this patient group as a priority for continuity of care, which may result in improved experiences of general practice and encourage better communication.
Text
BJGPO.2023.0010.full
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 14 March 2023
e-pub ahead of print date: 28 June 2023
Published date: September 2023
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 486499
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/486499
PURE UUID: 0830ae0f-2dc4-4982-a4bd-09fe70a2e7e1
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Date deposited: 24 Jan 2024 17:50
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 04:17
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Contributors
Author:
Nicky Thomas
Author:
Helen Atherton
Author:
Jeremy Dale
Author:
Kayla Smith
Author:
Hayley Crawford
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