Health visitor prescribing and impact on GP attendances
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Is there an impact on GP attendances when parents/carers of children under 5 receive a prescription or medicines advice for their child by a health visitor?
IRAS ID
238587
Contact name
Rachel Muncey
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Oxford Brookes University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 28 days
Research summary
This study aims to answer the question: ‘Is there an impact on GP attendances when parents/carers of children under 5 receive a prescription or medicines advice for their child by a health visitor?’. There is rationale for this research since there is no previous research that has examined the impact specifically of health visitors’ prescribing on GP attendances, or the impact of prescribing and advice given regarding medicines from a service user’s viewpoint.
This question is important since if health visitor prescriptions and prescribing advice is found to reduce GP attendances, the practice can be promoted amongst health visitors and awareness raised amongst service users. This is vital since research states that 30% of health visitors are not utilising their prescribing skills. It can also increase access to medicines for service users. There is a significant cost difference when prescriptions are made by health visitors (where appropriate) compared to GPs so if health visitors use their skills more this could also mean cost savings for the NHS.
Parents/carers of children under 5 years old attending health visitor clinics would be eligible and asked to complete a short questionnaire before placing this in an envelope and leaving it in a box in the clinic for staff to collect. The questionnaire will include approximately 9 questions including dichotomous, scaling and open-ended short answer questions. All data collected will remain anonymous and service users will not be asked to provide personal details. The clinic settings are within a room in a public library and in children’s centres. The study will last for one month in a local area which comprises 36 clinics in total; all parents/carers attending clinics during this time will be asked to participate.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 2
REC reference
18/NS/0057
Date of REC Opinion
15 May 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion