ABSTRACT
Objectives: Hospital at home (HAH) care is becoming increasingly popular in France and requires the involvement of general practitioners (GPs) in the care of their patients. The objective of this study was to identify the incentives and barriers to the involvement of general practitioners in HAH. Materials and methods: A qualitative study was carried out using semi-structured interviews during a focus group with 12 GPs. All interviews were recorded and then transcribed verbatim and data analysis used the grounded theory method. Results: General practitioners appeared to be familiar with the indications and places of care for HAH, but they highlighted the difficulties associated with the HAH request circuit. GPs identified difficulties determining their exact role in HAH, which were improved by their clinical expertise in home visits. Doctors stressed the complexity of home care, but they were assisted by the coordinating physician and they requested specific training. Conclusion: We identified incentives and barriers to the participation of GPs in HAH. The request circuit needs to be simplified, home visits need to be strengthened and support must be provided to GPs in their management of complex care.
