Studying Factors that Encourage Doctors to Engage in Good Practice

Background

The General Medical Council (GMC) registers doctors to practice medicine in the UK. Its purpose is to protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the public by ensuring proper standards in the practice of medicine. Investigations of serious service failures have provided useful data on where the vulnerabilities of the system lie and where the biggest challenges are to be faced. However, they do not inform us about why doctors do or do not adhere to good practice.

Goals

The GMC commissioned RAND Europe to study the factors that encourage or discourage doctors from acting in accordance with good practice. The research was undertaken in order to better understand the factors that affect doctors’ behaviour and decision making and is important because we know that, at times, good standards of medical care are not met.

This research will enable the GMC to inform the development of policy and a programme of work aimed at supporting doctors to adhere to good practice in the care and management of patients. The approach used for this work includes a literature review in the form of a Rapid Evidence Assessment, key informant interviews, and a benchmarking review.

Project Team

Emily Scraggs
Laura Brereton
Samuel Drabble
Tom Ling
Celine Miani
Jennifer Newbould
Daniel Schweppenstedde
Christine Tiefensee

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