Stories that matter: a qualitative study of general practitioners' reflections and experiences of exploring patients' impactful life stories.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

There is solid evidence of the impact of life experiences on health. Yet, knowledge of how general practitioners (GPs) relate to patients' stories of such experiences is sparse. This study explored GPs' reflections and experiences concerning managing potentially impactful patient stories.

Methods

We conducted four focus group interviews among Norwegian and Danish GPs and analysed them using Reflexive thematic analysis.

Results

Three main themes were developed. First, GPs apply various strategies to recognize and unfold impactful stories. Second, they attribute diverse purposes to engaging with these stories, from viewing them as instrumentally useful to recognizing their intrinsic value. These views influence GPs' objectives and strategies when managing impact

SUBMITTER: Ronneberg M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11758800 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature