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Research article
Ian Litchfield
University of Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1169-5392
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
View the published article at BMC Family Practice.
Background General practice faces unprecedented demands as the UK population ages and care complexity increases. Amidst these increased pressures, the receptionist continues to fulfil key administrative and clinically related tasks. The need for more robust support for these key personnel to ensure they stay focussed and motivated is apparent, but for this to be effective a more systematic understanding of the parameters of their work is required. Here we present a valuable insight into the tasks they fulfil their relationship with colleagues and their organisation, and their attitudes and behaviour at work collectively defined as their ‘work design’. Methods Our aim was to quantitatively assess the various characteristics of receptionists in UK primary care using the validated Work Design Questionnaire. A cross-sectional survey design was employed with receptionists randomly sampled from general practices across the UK. We used the Work Design Questionnaire (WDQ) a 21 point validated questionnaire, divided into four categories: task, knowledge and social characteristics and work context with a series of sub-categories within each. Results Seventy participants completed the WDQ. Receptionists reported high task variety, task significance and high level of information processing, confirming the high cognitive load placed on them by performing numerous yet significant tasks. This complex role required an array of skills and there was a reliance on colleagues for support and feedback. Conclusion Research with modern GP receptionists is sparse and little is known formally regarding the parameters of the role. This research explores the work design of GP receptionists and offers clinicians in practice a practical overview of this important and essential role and its implications for the modern GP practice. We suggest a number of ways in to better support the modern receptionist, including separating complex tasks to avoid the errors involved with high cognitive load, providing informal feedback and developing training programmes.
Keywords
Primary care, Health service delivery, Quantitative research
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CURRENT STATUS: Published
Published
On 10 Jul, 2020
No community comments so far
Editorial decision: Accept
On 19 Jun, 2020
Editor assigned
On 18 Jun, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 17 Jun, 2020
Editor invited
On 17 Jun, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 04 Jun, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 04 Jun, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 01 May, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 09 Mar, 2020
Editor assigned
On 28 Feb, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 27 Feb, 2020
Editor invited
On 27 Feb, 2020
Version 1
Posted 20 Aug, 2019
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 09 Jan, 2020
Review #3 received
Received 17 Dec, 2019
Review #2 received
Received 12 Dec, 2019
Reviewer #3 agreed
On 22 Nov, 2019
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 21 Nov, 2019
Review #1 received
Received 15 Nov, 2019
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 15 Oct, 2019
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 26 Aug, 2019
Submission checks complete
On 16 Aug, 2019
Editor invited
On 16 Aug, 2019
Editor assigned
On 01 Jul, 2019
First submitted
On 26 Jun, 2019
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
Subject Areas
General Practice
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This preprint is under consideration at BMC Family Practice. A preprint is a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research article
Ian Litchfield
University of Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1169-5392
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Published
Published
On 10 Jul, 2020
No community comments so far
Editorial decision: Accept
On 19 Jun, 2020
Editor assigned
On 18 Jun, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 17 Jun, 2020
Editor invited
On 17 Jun, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 04 Jun, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 04 Jun, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 01 May, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 09 Mar, 2020
Editor assigned
On 28 Feb, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 27 Feb, 2020
Editor invited
On 27 Feb, 2020
Version 1
Posted 20 Aug, 2019
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 09 Jan, 2020
Review #3 received
Received 17 Dec, 2019
Review #2 received
Received 12 Dec, 2019
Reviewer #3 agreed
On 22 Nov, 2019
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 21 Nov, 2019
Review #1 received
Received 15 Nov, 2019
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 15 Oct, 2019
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 26 Aug, 2019
Submission checks complete
On 16 Aug, 2019
Editor invited
On 16 Aug, 2019
Editor assigned
On 01 Jul, 2019
First submitted
On 26 Jun, 2019
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
Subject Areas
General Practice
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
View the published article at BMC Family Practice.
Background General practice faces unprecedented demands as the UK population ages and care complexity increases. Amidst these increased pressures, the receptionist continues to fulfil key administrative and clinically related tasks. The need for more robust support for these key personnel to ensure they stay focussed and motivated is apparent, but for this to be effective a more systematic understanding of the parameters of their work is required. Here we present a valuable insight into the tasks they fulfil their relationship with colleagues and their organisation, and their attitudes and behaviour at work collectively defined as their ‘work design’. Methods Our aim was to quantitatively assess the various characteristics of receptionists in UK primary care using the validated Work Design Questionnaire. A cross-sectional survey design was employed with receptionists randomly sampled from general practices across the UK. We used the Work Design Questionnaire (WDQ) a 21 point validated questionnaire, divided into four categories: task, knowledge and social characteristics and work context with a series of sub-categories within each. Results Seventy participants completed the WDQ. Receptionists reported high task variety, task significance and high level of information processing, confirming the high cognitive load placed on them by performing numerous yet significant tasks. This complex role required an array of skills and there was a reliance on colleagues for support and feedback. Conclusion Research with modern GP receptionists is sparse and little is known formally regarding the parameters of the role. This research explores the work design of GP receptionists and offers clinicians in practice a practical overview of this important and essential role and its implications for the modern GP practice. We suggest a number of ways in to better support the modern receptionist, including separating complex tasks to avoid the errors involved with high cognitive load, providing informal feedback and developing training programmes.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
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