The Connection Study V1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Learning about and from providers and receivers of enhanced general practice for people with severe and multiple disadvantage in the UK– a realist evaluation.
IRAS ID
260462
Contact name
Lucy Potter
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bristol
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Severe and multiple disadvantage (SMD) includes experiences of homelessness, substance misuse, violence and abuse and poor mental health. People with SMD often have several unmet mental and physical health needs. Despite this, general practice is often inaccessible to people with SMD.
Access to general practice for people with SMD is a complex issue, and is likely to be highly context dependent. There is limited literature on successful interventions for improving access for such a marginalised group. However, there is a growing network of experts who provide enhanced primary care to people with SMD and are trying different, enhanced primary care for people with SMD. This research aims to learn from the experience of general practice providers in up to 4 general practices and patients/ carers who are in the catchment of these practices and would be eligible for the enhanced care but may or may not be receiving this.
This research involves interviewing a purposively diverse sample of up to fourteen experts who deliver and commission enhanced general practice for people with SMD, and up to fourteen patients and carers who would be eligible for this enhanced care at the site but may or may not be registered or receiving it. Patients and carers will be recruited through the practice, but also through community or support organisations local to the practice, with the aim of capturing both the perspectives of those who are managing to access the enhanced care and those who are not.
This is to better understand what works, when, how, to what extent, for whom and why, in providing enhanced primary care for people with SMD. This research will be used to further advance an in-depth explanation that can ultimately be used to develop an intervention to improve access to general practice for people with SMD.REC name
London - Hampstead Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/PR/1274
Date of REC Opinion
8 Dec 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion