Task shifting for musculoskeletal disorders in Norwegian primary care: a qualitative interview study of general practitioners and specialist musculoskeletal physiotherapists.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To explore the views of general practitioners and physiotherapists on the current model of care for patients with musculoskeletal disorders in Norwegian primary care, and if the English First Contact Practitioner model, where patients have access to multiple professional groups with musculoskeletal health expertise, could inform service development.

Design, setting, and subjects

We analysed interviews with five GPs and 11 physiotherapists and used Lipsky's theories about street-level bureaucracy and Foucault's theories of mechanisms of power and institutional structures to explore task shifting and cooperation between different professions.

Results and interpretation

The empirical material reflected a multi-faceted discourse about skill-mix in primary care,

SUBMITTER: Chance-Larsen K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11834803 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature