How direct access to physiotherapy reshapes GP gatekeeping for musculoskeletal care in primary care: an exploratory organisational typology across health systems.
Matthieu Fischer, Nicolas Pinsault, Mathilde François, Stéphanie Mignot
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective: To characterise the organisational role configurations of physiotherapists in direct access (DA) models and describe how general practitioner (GP) gatekeeping for musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions is redistributed across health systems.
Design: Secondary qualitative content analysis of organisational descriptions reported in published DA/first-contact physiotherapy (FCP) studies, using a structured extraction matrix and Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the synthesis of Qualitative research (ENTREQ) reporting standards. Configuration dimensions were informed ex ante by gatekeeping and task-shifting frameworks; configurations themselves were identified inductively. A dimension of operationalised treatment authority was derived during revision from existing extraction-matrix fields.
Setting: Primary care settings across high-income health systems, including Beveridge-type (UK, Sweden), Bismarck-type (Netherlands, France) and pluralistic systems (USA), identified through a companion systematic review prospectively registered on the Open Science Framework (osf.io/897ub).
Participants: 19 empirical DA/FCP primary studies were eligible for the source review; 14 contained sufficient organisational detail for configuration mapping.
Results: Four configurations were empirically observed and a fifth was theoretically anticipated but not found. Autonomous first-contact MSK clinician models predominated (12 of 14 studies, predominantly Beveridge-type systems) and differentiated into two subconfigurations on the basis of operationalised treatment authority: front-end assessment and signposting (type 3a, 4 studies, including the National Health Service FCP programme) and full-episode autonomous management (type 3b, 8 studies). Protocol-governed triage with mandatory post hoc medical validation (type 2) and advanced practice with extended scope (type 4) were each observed as illustrative variants supported by a single study. DA redistributed rather than abolished gatekeeping.
Conclusions: In well-documented implementations, DA physiotherapy is most commonly configured as a first-contact model that redistributes GP gatekeeping for MSK conditions. This exploratory typology provides a framework for hypothesis generation and future primary research, particularly in under-represented Bismarck-type health systems.
期刊介绍：
Family Medicine and Community Health (FMCH) is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal focusing on the topics of family medicine, general practice and community health. FMCH strives to be a leading international journal that promotes ‘Health Care for All’ through disseminating novel knowledge and best practices in primary care, family medicine, and community health. FMCH publishes original research, review, methodology, commentary, reflection, and case-study from the lens of population health. FMCH’s Asian Focus section features reports of family medicine development in the Asia-pacific region. FMCH aims to be an exemplary forum for the timely communication of medical knowledge and skills with the goal of promoting improved health care through the practice of family and community-based medicine globally. FMCH aims to serve a diverse audience including researchers, educators, policymakers and leaders of family medicine and community health. We also aim to provide content relevant for researchers working on population health, epidemiology, public policy, disease control and management, preventative medicine and disease burden. FMCH does not impose any article processing charges (APC) or submission charges.
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