Consumer perceptions and preferences of pharmacist-led professional services and attributes in Australia: a qualitative focus group study

Objective
This study investigates consumer views of pharmacist-led professional services in Australia, emphasising factors influencing their uptake and attributes valued by users.

Design
Semi-structured online focus groups explored the awareness, experiences and expectations of pharmacists and pharmacy professional services. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and de-identified. Data were analysed using the thematic analysis technique to identify common themes.

Setting
Three online focus groups were conducted, inviting participants from Australia

Participants
15 adults aged 18 years and above, English-speaking and self-identified as a consumer of health services or a health carer.

Results
Participants recognised pharmacists primarily as medication experts but also valued additional services like health screening, vaccination and chronic disease management. Consumer perceptions and experiences of professional pharmacy services focused on three themes: (1) convenience, (2) credibility and trust, and (3) communication and awareness. More specifically, attributes that influence service uptake include pharmacist competency, general practitioner (GP) endorsement, service availability, convenience, awareness and cost. Competency was associated with visible qualifications and specialised training, fostering consumer trust. Limited awareness of available services and privacy concerns posed barriers. Collaborative relationships between pharmacists and GPs, flexible hours and minimal waiting times, provision of services within pharmacists’ scope of practice and recognition from the government were particularly appealing factors.

Conclusions
The findings highlight opportunities to expand pharmacists’ roles in primary care, emphasising the need for tailored attributes, robust competency frameworks, GP endorsement and government support for sustainable service models. This work contributes to the growing evidence base on enhancing consumer-centred pharmacy services, guiding policy and practice improvements to meet evolving healthcare demands. Future research quantifying how much consumers value each attribute can help providers with limited resources prioritise better.

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Giugno 2025

Prevalence and factors influencing fear of disease progression in stroke patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis with a focus on China

Objectives
To systematically estimate the prevalence and influencing factors of fear of disease progression (FoP) in patients who had a stroke, with a focus on China.

Design
Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational clinical studies.

Data sources
Eight databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), CBM, Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase) were searched from inception to March 2024, supplemented by manual reference screening.

Eligibility criteria
Cross-sectional studies reporting FoP incidence or influencing factors in Chinese stroke patients using the Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form scale were included.

Data extraction and synthesis
Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data and assessed study quality using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality tool (score range: 0–11 points). Random-effects models were applied to address substantial heterogeneity. Stata 17.0 software was used for meta-analysis.

Results
A total of 20 studies (15 medium-quality, 5 high-quality) involving 7156 patients were included. The pooled incidence of FoP in Chinese stroke patients was 56% (95% CI=45% to 66%), derived from a random-effects model despite significant between-study heterogeneity (I²= 98.7%), with subgroup analyses and leave-one-out sensitivity analysis confirming result robustness. Subgroup analysis revealed that the incidence was highest in East China (70%, 95% CI=56% to 83%), followed by Central China (55%, 95% CI=36% to 73%) and North China (43%, 95% CI=38% to 47%). The incidence of FoP in haemorrhagic stroke (72%, 95% CI=49% to 95%) was higher than that in ischaemic stroke (45%, 95% CI=27% to 64%). The incidence of FoP after 2020 (59%, 95% CI=48% to 70%) was higher than that before 2020 (40%, 95% CI=32% to 47%). Meta-regression identified publication year (p=0.004) and research region (p=0.001) as key heterogeneity sources. The main influencing factors of FoP in Chinese stroke patients included age (OR=0.94, 95% CI=0.92 to 0.97, p

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Giugno 2025

How do programme directors perceive trainee attrition? A qualitative focus group study in three Dutch teaching hospitals

Objective
To gain insight into programme directors’ (PDs’) perceptions of trainee attrition from postgraduate medical education (PGME), focusing on interactions between stakeholders within the learning environment and roles of PDs in the process leading to attrition.

Design, setting and participants
We performed a focus group study with 27 PDs from three Dutch teaching hospitals and analysed transcripts using template analysis.

Results
PDs identified attrition as a multilevel problem, in which personal, workplace and system-bound factors play a role. PDs mentioned balancing professional and personal responsibilities, in particular parenthood and high ambitions, as important trainee-related factors. PDs adopt different, at times conflicting, roles when guiding trainees, for example, assessor and mentor, and they struggle to balance these roles. They displayed various emotions when discussing attrition, varying from disappointment to frustration and anger, yet could also frame attrition positively as new opportunity. PDs used numerous resources to support trainees in difficulty, in a reactive rather than in a pro-active manner. A generation difference between faculty and trainees regarding work-life balance was mentioned as impeding mutual understanding. On the system level, PDs observed how implicit beliefs and negative interactions between actors in the learning environment impede trainees’ well-being.

Conclusions
PDs perceived trainee attrition as a multi-level problem that highlighted conflicting roles for the PD and evoked a wide range of emotions. The authors propose the following interventions: (1) address conflicting roles of PDs by reallocating specific tasks to other independent ‘third parties’, for example, professional coaching; (2) implement pro-active support for trainees unrelated to assessment; (3) create awareness of implicit assumptions of stakeholders and promote social belonging; (4) foster a supportive learning climate with clinical leaders as role models.

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Giugno 2025

Challenging behaviours in interprofessional teamwork in the intensive care unit: a qualitative content analysis of focus group interviews

Objectives
To explore interprofessional team members’ experiences of teamwork at an intensive care unit.

Design
Qualitative content analysis of focus group interviews with members from the intensive care teams.

Setting
University hospital in Sweden.

Participants
In total, 31 participants were interviewed. Enrolled nurses (n=7), critical care registered nurses (n=16), and intensive care physicians (n=8) employed at an intensive care unit were divided into nine focus groups organised according to the profession.

Results
The overall theme, Balancing behaviour and knowledge in teamwork, emerged from the two categories of creating a safe atmosphere when working in an unknown environment and counteracting and mitigating destructive team dynamics. The theme captures how well-functioning teamwork must take into account members not acting as team players while also building a secure environment when working in new surroundings outside the intensive care unit. The categories describe how mutual respect, effective teamwork and a safe atmosphere were fostered through support without taking over tasks and countering power structures.

Conclusions
Navigating teamwork during critical situations is inherently complex, making it essential to understand team interactions and factors influencing individual behaviour. To ensure patient safety, the interprofessional team must recognise, understand and manage diverse behaviours and knowledge in dynamic settings. This research contributes to existing knowledge on teamwork in the intensive care context by providing insights into how knowledge and behaviour in teamwork can be optimised to enhance patient safety.

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Maggio 2025