Understanding the experiences of parents of children with disabilities interactions with general practice: A systematic review.

Problem

Research exploring parent carers experiences of general practice is limited compared with other carer groups. There is currently no systematic review which addresses the experiences or interactions with general practice from the perspective of parent carers of children with disabilities. Exploring the experiences of parent carers, is vital to highlight future research priorities. This review aims to explore experiences of general practice for parent carers of children and young people with disabilities and how these interactions are perceived in supporting the parent carer role. The following objectives are included: 1) To identify, quality appraise and synthesise studies on parent carers experiences and interactions with general practice. 2) To explore parent carers perspectives and views of general practice in providing relevant services (e.g., advice, resources, interventions) for parents who care for children with disabilities. 3) To identify implications for future research in this area

Approach

The systematic review included all study types. Only studies published in the English language were included and no date restrictions were implemented due to limited literature on this topic area. Databases were searched using pre-determined search strategy, and results were screened for eligibility according to a detailed inclusion criterion, involving title, abstract and full text screening. Quality of included studies will be completed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool, and findings will be synthesised narratively to analyse, integrate and summarise the evidence

Findings

This review is currently ongoing, and data will be available in July to present. Synthesising research that examines parent carers of children with disabilities experiences of general practice will identify parent carers’ needs from general practice, and relevant support that has been used to sustain their caring role within the community. Potential findings will highlight what works well and barriers to accessing general practice care (including during Covid-19 pandemic) for parent carers.

Consequences

This review will bring awareness to the experiences of parent carers whilst seeking general and mental health support from general practice for their own health, to sustain their caring role long term. This review will identify gaps in the literature that require further investigation and areas of future research for parent carers and the role general practice plays in delivering care to this vulnerable group. In addition, recommendations for policy and practice will be beneficial as there are no current guidelines that explicitly refer to supporting parent carers of children with disabilities in general practice.