Supporting family carers in general practice: a scoping review of clinical guidelines and recommendations.

Publisher: BioMed Central Ltd Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 9918300889006676 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2731-4553 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 27314553 NLM ISO Abbreviation: BMC Prim Care Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: [London] : BioMed Central Ltd., [2022]-

General Practice* ; Practice Guidelines as Topic*; Humans ; Caregivers/psychology ; Family Practice ; General Practitioners/psychology ; Health Services

Background: Increasing numbers of family carers are providing informal care in community settings. This creates a number of challenges because family carers are at risk of poor physical and psychological health outcomes, with consequences both for themselves and those for whom they provide care. General Practitioners (GPs), who play a central role in community-based care, are ideally positioned to identify, assess, and signpost carers to supports. However, there is a significant gap in the literature in respect of appropriate guidance and resources to support them in this role.
Methods: A scoping review was undertaken to examine clinical guidelines and recommendations for GPs to support them in their role with family carers. This involved a multidisciplinary team, in line with Arksey & O'Malley's framework, and entailed searches of ten peer-reviewed databases and grey literature between September-November 2020.
Results: The searches yielded a total of 4,651 English language papers, 35 of which met the criteria for inclusion after removing duplicates, screening titles and abstracts, and performing full-text readings. Ten papers focused on resources/guidelines for GPs, twenty were research papers, three were review papers, one was a framework of quality markers for carer support, and one was an editorial. Data synthesis indicated that nine (90%) of the guidelines included some elements relating to the identification, assessment, and/or signposting of carers. Key strategies for identifying carers suggest that a whole practice approach is optimal, incorporating a role for the GP, practice staff, and for the use of appropriate supporting documentation. Important knowledge gaps were highlighted in respect of appropriate clinical assessment and evidence-based signposting pathways.
Conclusion: Our review addresses a significant gap in the literature by providing an important synthesis of current available evidence on clinical guidelines for GPs in supporting family carers, including strategies for identification, options for assessment and potential referral/signposting routes. However, there is a need for greater transparency of the existing evidence base as well as much more research to evaluate the effectiveness and increase the routine utilisation, of clinical guidelines in primary care.
(© 2023. The Author(s).)

Br J Gen Pract. 2016 Aug;66(649):400-1. (PMID: 27481960)
Qual Prim Care. 2010;18(1):9-16. (PMID: 20359408)
Health Soc Care Community. 2022 Sep;30(5):e1711-e1720. (PMID: 34633108)
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2014 Jan 29;14:51. (PMID: 24475888)
Br J Gen Pract. 2014 Nov;64(628):e719-27. (PMID: 25348996)
JRSM Open. 2017 Jan 01;8(2):2054270416682673. (PMID: 28203385)
BMC Fam Pract. 2011 Jun 23;12:57. (PMID: 21699722)
BMC Fam Pract. 2018 Jul 13;19(1):112. (PMID: 30001698)
BMC Psychiatry. 2020 Apr 6;20(1):154. (PMID: 32252700)
Trials. 2010 Nov 29;11:115. (PMID: 21114863)
PLoS One. 2015 Sep 17;10(9):e0138237. (PMID: 26379270)
BMC Fam Pract. 2011 Oct 05;12:110. (PMID: 21970440)
BMC Fam Pract. 2006 May 24;7:33. (PMID: 16719930)
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2010 Jul;25(7):657-64. (PMID: 19946862)
BMC Fam Pract. 2016 Feb 11;17:18. (PMID: 26864056)
S D Med. 2017 Apr;70(4):173-175. (PMID: 28813734)
J Adv Nurs. 2022 Aug;78(8):2304-2312. (PMID: 35451517)
Acta Biomed. 2020 Mar 15;91(3):e2020054. (PMID: 32921699)
Health Soc Care Community. 2021 Sep;29(5):1327-1338. (PMID: 32949440)
Brain Behav Immun Health. 2021 Jul 07;16:100295. (PMID: 34589788)
Health Soc Care Community. 2020 Mar;28(2):642-650. (PMID: 31770820)
Health Policy. 2018 Dec;122(12):1278-1282. (PMID: 29843901)
Syst Rev. 2017 Dec 06;6(1):245. (PMID: 29208034)
Br J Gen Pract. 2020 Jun 25;70(696):e489-e496. (PMID: 32482628)
PLoS One. 2017 Mar 30;12(3):e0174831. (PMID: 28358870)
Br J Gen Pract. 2013 Oct;63(615):e683-90. (PMID: 24152483)
BMC Med Res Methodol. 2018 Nov 19;18(1):143. (PMID: 30453902)
BMC Med Res Methodol. 2013 Mar 23;13:48. (PMID: 23522333)
Health Soc Care Community. 2019 Jan;27(1):55-67. (PMID: 29846020)
BMC Fam Pract. 2014 Apr 02;15:48. (PMID: 24690099)
HRB Open Res. 2021 May 18;4:53. (PMID: 35233505)
Health Soc Care Community. 2015 Jan;23(1):14-22. (PMID: 25243745)
Ann Intern Med. 2018 Oct 2;169(7):467-473. (PMID: 30178033)
Health Soc Care Community. 2017 Mar;25(2):357-365. (PMID: 26694537)
Implement Sci. 2010 Sep 20;5:69. (PMID: 20854677)
J Am Geriatr Soc. 2020 Jun;68(6):1262-1270. (PMID: 32167573)
Can Geriatr J. 2020 May 01;23(2):160-171. (PMID: 32494332)
BMC Palliat Care. 2019 Jul 16;18(1):58. (PMID: 31311536)
J Clin Nurs. 2010 Jan;19(1-2):275-83. (PMID: 20500263)
BMC Fam Pract. 2016 Mar 22;17:34. (PMID: 27004838)
Health Soc Care Community. 2020 May;28(3):716-733. (PMID: 31858674)
Ir J Med Sci. 2023 Apr;192(2):951-961. (PMID: 35701648)

Keywords: Clinical guidelines; Family Carer; GP; General Practice; Primary care; Scoping review

Date Created: 20231106 Date Completed: 20231114 Latest Revision: 20231114

20240514

PMC10626724

10.1186/s12875-023-02188-1

37932659