In this episode, we’re going to recognise some exceptional researchers here in the UK. We talk to Dr Ben Bowers and Dr Steve Bradley, this year’s winners of the Royal College of GPs and Society for Academic Primary Care early career researcher award.

For more information about the award, see below two interviews with Ben and Steve on the RCGP website:

Dr Ben Bowers: https://www.rcgp.org.uk/Blog/SAPC-OECR-Awards-2024-Ben-Bowers

Dr Steve Bradley: https://www.rcgp.org.uk/Blog/SAPC-OECR-Awards-2024-Stephen-Bradley

Congratulations to Ben and Steve!

In this episode, we talk to Dr Erin Oldenhof, Research Coordinator and a benzodiazepine withdrawal counsellor at Reconnexion, a non-profit organisation that offers teratmenta nd support for insomnia, depression and anxiety. We’re also joined by Dr Petra Staiger, Associate Professor within the School of Psychology at Deakin University in Melbourne.

Title of paper: “Let’s talk about sleep health”: Patient perspectives on willingness to engage in psychological interventions for insomnia

Available at: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2023.0310

Psychological interventions for insomnia are recommended as the first-line treatment but remain underutilised in primary care settings relative to pharmacological treatments. Coupled with known harms regarding prolonged use of benzodiazepine receptor agonists (BZRAs) to manage insomnia, the need for increased uptake of psychological interventions is critical. This study explored the influence of key factors that motivate individuals’ intention to engage with psychological interventions, revealing the importance of active involvement of GPs in this process from the initial consultation through to supporting treatment adherence long-term. By understanding the consumer perspective in conjunction with the unique clinical expertise of GPs, we have offered guidance on how to enhance patient-practitioner collaboration across the entire treatment process and increase GP confidence to facilitate increased engagement with evidence-based psychological treatment modalities.

In this episode, we talk to Dr Erica di Martino, a Research Fellow based within the School of Medicine at the University of Leeds.

Title of paper: Understanding General Practitioners’ referral decisions for younger patients with symptoms of cancer: a qualitative interview study

Available at: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2023.0304

Some cancers are becoming more common in younger people, yet clinical guidelines often recommend urgent referral for suspected cancer only if patients are above a certain age. Findings from this study show that, whilst most GPs interpret age criteria in cancer guidelines flexibly, some perceive and apply them as firm directives. In addition, system constraints may create unwarranted rigidity and act as barriers to prompt investigation. More in-built and explicit flexibility in the referral system is required to facilitate timely diagnosis of younger patients perceived as at higher risk by their GP.