A preliminary study of the decision-making process within general practice

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the present study was to explore the factors that contribute to the process of decision making within general practice, over and above evidence-based information.

Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews on a purposeful sample of GPs, based in the South West of England. Each interview was tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim.

Results: Five broad categories emerged from the data: practitioner; patient; practitioner-patient relationship; verbal and non-verbal communication; evidence-based medicine; and external factors.

Conclusion: The nature of general practice is such that the process of making clinical decisions is complex. In an era when GPs are being overwhelmed by evidence-based information, consideration needs to be given to the implications that the nature of the decision-making process has upon the way 'evidence' is constructed and promoted within general practice.