We work together in a GP practice to bring psychology into the GP realm.We realised that psychological theory can seem complex and time consuming to translate into general practice. However, a large proportion of consultations are for physical and mental health conditions exacerbated by behavioural/lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, inactivity and poor nutrition. Doctors often lack the confidence and competence to address these issues in clinic, assuming a lack of patient motivation or fearing opening a can of worms in an all-too-short consultation.The result can be worsening wellbeing, repeat consulting and poly-pharmacy. We have devised a simple four-step plan that we have been using in 10-minute GP appointments for more than 15 years. It enhances the hope that people have for achieving their personal goals and hence their ability to make significant and lasting positive changes in their wellbeing and health. Specifically it is part of an approach that has helped us achieve drug-free remission for 57 people with type 2 diabetes, along with significant practice drug budget savings (Unwin and Unwin, 2014).
Read this research paper in full →Link opens in a new window