How to Set Up a Group Consultation in Respiratory Long-Term Conditions

Group consultations offer an alternative to one-to-one consultations for respiratory long-term conditions, providing clinical management, patient education, and peer support.¹ Evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses suggest that group consultations are effective and are associated with positive patient experience measures.²

However, group consultations are a concept relatively new to UK general practice, and little guidance is available about how to set up and deliver these effectively. Furthermore, literature indicates a lack of confidence and skills in facilitation as potential reasons for hesitancy regarding this approach.³

To help boost confidence for those interested in implementing this approach, Beverley Bostock offers practical tips and discusses different factors to consider on how to effectively set up a group consultation for patients with respiratory disease.

References:

1. Kirsh SR, Aron DC, Johnson KD, et al. A realist review of shared medical appointments: how, for whom, and under what circumstances do they work? BMC Health Serv Res. 2017;17(1):113.

2. Booth A, Cantrell A, Preston L, et al. What is the evidence for the effectiveness, appropriateness and feasibility of group clinics for patients with chronic conditions? A systematic review. Health Services and Delivery Research. 2015;3:46.

3. Jones KR, Kaewluang N, Lekhak N. Group visits for chronic illness management: implementation challenges and recommendations. Nurs Econ. 2014;32(3):118–134.

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• Beverley Bostock

  Advanced Nurse Practitioner

  Read biography
  Beverley Bostock

  Advanced Nurse Practitioner Gloucestershire

  Role and Location

  Beverley Bostock is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Gloucestershire, specialising in respiratory care.

  Education

  MSc, MA

  Research

  She is also Editor in Chief of Practice Nurse Journal and is a trained Expert Witness, working on medico-legal cases.

  Memberships

  Beverley was a member of the Topic Expert Group which developed the Asthma Quality Standards for NICE and she also sat on the committee for the National Review of Asthma Deaths. She is currently the asthma lead for the Association of Respiratory Nurse Specialists and is a Policy Forum member for the Primary Care Respiratory Society.