General Practitioners (GP) experiences in managing patients in clinical trials conducted by non-GP specialists - An exploratory qualitative study

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Adam

Explores Australian general practitioners’ lived experiences managing patients enrolled in specialist-led clinical trials led by non-GP teams. The phenomenological study used 11 semi-structured interviews with GPs in New South Wales between July and October 2024, using purposive, snowballing, and convenience sampling, followed by inductive coding and thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: communication gaps from trial teams, patients’ limited understanding, time and resource barriers, and differing views on GPs’ active research involvement.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Introduction (background and prior research)

Journal of Clinical and Translational Science [www.cambridge.org/cts](www.cambridge.org/cts) Research Article Cite this article: Lam TN-B, Shahab Y, and Lau P. General Practitioners (GP) experiences in managing patients in clinical trials conducted by non-GP specialists: An exploratory qualitative study. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science 9: e287, 1–7 . doi: 10. 1017/ cts.2025.10217 Received: 24 January 2025 Revised: 27 November 2025 Accepted: 4 December 2025 Keywords: General practitioners (GPs); primary care physicians (PCPs); primary care research/trials; communication; non-GP specialists Corresponding author: T.N.-B. Lam; Email: [baotran53l@yahoo.com](baotran53l@yahoo.com) © The Author(s), 2025 . Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Association for Clinical and Translational Science. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence ([https://creativecommons.org/licenses/](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/)[ ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/)[by/4.0/](by/4.0/)), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited. General Practitioners (GP) experiences in managing patients in clinical trials conducted by non-GP specialists: An exploratory qualitative study Tran Ngoc-Bao Lam1,2 , Yasin Shahab2 and Phyllis Lau2 1Royal Australia College of General Practitioners, Department of General Practice, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia and 2Department of General Practice, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia Abstract Introduction: General Practitioners (GPs) in Australia continue to provide primary medical care for patients enrolled in specialist-led clinical trials (CTs), yet research on GPs’ experiences in this role remains limited. This study explored Australian GPs’ experiences managing CT patients and their perspectives on primary care involvement in clinical research. Methods: This phenomenological study involved 11 semi-structured interviews with GPs in New South Wales, Australia, between July to October 2024, who previously managed patients enrolled in other non-GP subspecialist CTs. The recruitment applied purposive, snowballing and convenience sampling approaches. Interviews were transcribed, inductively coded and thematically analyzed. Results: Analysis revealed four themes: (i) lack of communication from CT teams,(ii) patients’ insufficient understanding about their CTs,(iii) time and resource barriers to GP involvement in CTs,(iv) varied opinions about GPs playing an active role as researchers in CTs. Conclusions: This exploratory study highlighted the lack of proper communication gaps between CT teams and GPs, potentially compromising the quality of patient care. Digital health records (such as Australia’s My Health Record) could facilitate information sharing. While GPs support primary care research, barriers include limited research training, time constraints, and inadequate resources. Integrating research education into GP training and establishing practice-based research networks could enhance GP participation in CTs. Introduction Although the majority of patients enrolled in clinical trials (CTs) in Australia are monitored and followed up by specialized clinics or non-GP specialists who are responsible for their enrollment, General Practitioners (GPs) continue to be the patient’s primary contact for general health advice and management of their other comorbidities [1] . In Australia, GPs are the first service people goto for healthcare, provide diagnosis and treatment ofa wide range of health conditions and injuries, as well as long-term care [2] . Previous studies have explored the role of primary care physicians/GPs in the designs of CTs to better monitor the progress of their patients throughout the trial duration. Researchers from va

FAQs

What was the purpose of the study on GPs and clinical trials?

To explore Australian GPs’ experiences managing clinical trial (CT) patients and their perspectives on primary care involvement in clinical research.

How was the study conducted and analyzed?

It used 11 semi-structured interviews with GPs, followed by inductive coding and thematic analysis.

What key themes did the study identify?

The analysis identified four themes: communication gaps from CT teams, patients’ insufficient understanding, time and resource barriers, and varied opinions about GPs taking an active researcher role.

What solutions and recommendations are discussed to improve GP involvement?

The study suggests better communication and information sharing, using digital health records, and improving GP research participation through education and practice-based research networks.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Adam