Rural family physician perspectives on communication with urban specialists: a qualitative study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Communication is a key competency for medical education and comprehensive patient care. In rural environments, communication between rural family physicians and urban specialists is an essential pathway for clinical decision making. The aim of this study was to explore rural physicians' perspectives on communication with urban specialists during consultations and referrals.

Setting

Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

Participants

This qualitative study involved semistructured, one-on-one interviews with rural family physicians (n=11) with varied career stages, geographical regions, and community sizes.

Results

Four themes specific to communication in rural practice were identified. The themes included: (1) understanding the contexts of rural care; (2)

SUBMITTER: Wilson MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8126282 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature