GPs in EMS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Scoping work for a realist evaluation of the deployment of GPs in Emergency Medical Services.
IRAS ID
304197
Contact name
Adam Taylor
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bristol
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
2021-0151-300, University Faculty Research Ethics Committee; 21-014, South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust Number
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 0 days
Research summary
This project will study the deployment of GPs within Ambulance Services, examining outcomes relevant to patients, providers and the local health community. It is a scoping study in preparation for NIHR grant application for a national study to compare different models of GP deployment in service units within ambulance services in England, including analyses of patient satisfaction, outcomes, and cost-effectiveness.
The increasing demand for urgent and emergency healthcare means services are continually evolving. Ambulance services are engaging GPs in various ways to help optimise patient access to the right services, assist with the increasing clinical complexity of patients requesting help, and improve system-wide efficiencies. The fundamental premise behind these initiatives is that ‘primary care sensitive’ situations are an increasing proportion of ambulance work.
However, there is a lack of evidence about whether deploying GPs in ambulance services improves outcomes and is cost effective. The aim of the current research is to understand the various ways that GPs are deployed in Emergency Medical Services and which models/service units provide the greatest benefit to individual patients and the wider urgent care system.
The current scoping study has the following elements:
• A comprehensive realist review of existing literature.
• Non-participation context-forming observation at EMS work sites, e.g. an Urgent Care Centre, and telephone triage at the EMS clinical hub.
• Realist interviews with key professional informants and stakeholders, including EMS staff.
• Establishment of a data-extraction framework for future study that would use routinely-collected EMS data to identify key clinical and health economic outcomes.
• Consultation with a PPI group of service users and carers to inform customised patient-reported outcome measures.
• Cognitive piloting of selected patient satisfaction instruments with service-user focus groups.
• Application for a full NIHR grant.REC name
London - Stanmore Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/PR/0155
Date of REC Opinion
11 Apr 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion