Exploring the Therapeutic Relationship in modern General Practice

Plain English summary (350 words maximum): Background: The relationship between patient and doctor has long been an important part of medicine and has been historically celebrated for its richness, humanity and therapeutic potential. High-quality relationships can lead to greater patient and professional satisfaction, compliance and efficiency, whilst continuity is associated with improved health outcomes. However, recent years have seen considerable changes in Primary care, accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, including remote approaches and a more diverse workforce. Approach: I will explore the effect of these changes on the therapeutic relationship between patients and their primary care teams. I will select 10 patients from 3 diverse GP practices and will follow them for 2 years, using a range of qualitative and ethnographic methodologies to analyse their interactions with their GP and the wider practice systems. Impact: This will inform training programmes for medical students and GP trainees and academic papers and policy documents for health care providers and commissioners. I aim to provide insights about how training, technology or workstreams can be optimized for primary care to contribute to therapeutic encounters that improve health outcomes and result in greater patient and professional wellbeing, and more efficient systems.