Barriers and facilitators to primary care research: views of GP trainees and trainers

Sarah Stephenson; Eugene Yee Hing Tang; Eugene Tang; Penny Williams; Hilary Allan; John Rouse; Morag Burton; Caroline Wroe; Richard Bellamy; Hannah Hesselgreaves

doi:10.3399/BJGPO.2021.0099

Article Figures & Data

Tables

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Table 1. Characteristics of trainee participants

Characteristic	n	%
Age, years
Mean 32.6 [range 25–54, SD 5.7]	167	100

BSc	20	12.0
PGCert	10	6.0
PGDip	8	4.8
MSc	22	13.2
PhD	2	1.2
Member of a medical college	6	3.6
Year of training
ST1	57	34.3
ST2	58	34.9
ST3	48	28.9
Other	3	1.8
Applied for an academic post previously
Yes	13	7.8
No	153	92.2
Medical school region ^a
North East and North Cumbria	25	15.1
North West	34	20.5
Other^b	44	26.5
Overseas	63	37.7

^aMissing data n = 1. ^bIncludes London, East Midlands, East of England, West Midlands, Wessex, Yorkshire and Humber, Scotland and Wales.

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Table 2. Trainee career choice intention within general practice (n = 166)

Career choice	n	Response rate, %
Clinical service post only	11	6.6
Clinical service post with some teaching	73	44.0
Clinical service post with some research	9	5.4
Clinical service post with some teaching and research	26	15.7
Solely clinical academic research post	1	0.6
Change speciality	9	5.4
Undecided	33	19.9
May leave medicine	4	2.4

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Table 3. Trainee intention to undertake form of academic career (research or education) presented with associations with intercalation, year of training, and medical school region

Survey item	Response category	n/total	%	Trainee intention academic career (univariate analysis)
(Q7) Intercalated?	Yes	23/164	14	Not significant
(Q7) Intercalated?	No	141/164	86	Not significant
(Q13) Year of training	ST1	57/166	34	Not significant
	ST2	58/166	34.9
	ST3	48/166	28.9
	Other	3/166	1.8
(Q11) Medical school region^a	North East and Cumbria	10/25	40	x²=35.8(3, n=166), P=0.02
	North West	12/34	35.3
	Rest UK	10/44	22.7
	Overseas	31/63	49.2

Because of small sample size and to avoid violation of minimum cell size Χ² test of associations, the five variables in Q25 were merged to two: intention to undertake an academic career; and intention to undertake an academic career.
^aSignificant.

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Table 4. Trainee and trainer research engagement

	Trainee self-reports of engaging in…		Trainee awareness of trainers’ engagement in...		Trainer self-reports of engaging in…		Trainer self-report of interest in…
	Number of responses	%	Number of responses	%	Numbers of responses	%	Number of responses	%
Education and training	67	35.6	117	52.7	136	51.9	122	87.8
Recruitment of patients to research	3	1.6	16	7.2	41	15.6	6	4.3
Contributing to research	17	9.0	31	14.0	31	11.8	2	1.4
Designing and carrying out research	8	4.3	13	5.9	6	2.3	4	2.9
No research	93	49.5	45	20.3	48	18.3	5	3.6
Total	188	100	222	100	262	100	139	100

Participants could tick more than one response.

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Table 5. Factors influencing research careers

		Funded researchcourses	Funded research qualifications	Funded time for research	Role modelling	Mentor scheme	Attendconferences	More informationduring training
Trainee	Number of responses(%)	94(15.8)	93(15.6)	106(17.8)	81(13.6)	85(14.3)	53(8.9)	83(13.9)
Trainer	Number of responses(%)	41(10.8)	65(17.1)	52(13.6)	94(24.7)	49(12.9)	53(13.9)	29(7.1)

Participants could tick more than one response. Role modelling received the most votes for trainers (25%). Funded time for research received the most votes for trainees (18%).

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Table 6. Trainee interest and understanding of research (n = 164)

Interest in research (the number of times the item was ranked first) (Q17):	n (%)	Understanding of research (Q34)	n (%)
Recruitment of patients	5 (3)	Aware of what research in primary care entails	0
		Aware of opportunities to take part in research	0
		Would like to hear about research opportunities	2 (1)
Contributing to research	18 (11)	Aware of what research in primary care entails	6 (4)
		Aware of opportunities to take part in research	3 (2)
		Would like to hear about research opportunities	12 (7)
Carrying out research	12 (7)	Aware of what research in primary care entails	3 (2)
		Aware of opportunities to take part in research	2 (1)
		Would like to hear about research opportunities	11 (7)

Supplementary Data

Hesselgreaves_BJGPO.2021.0099_Supp.pdf -
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