What features are considered important for electronic safety-netting tools to UK general practice staff? An interview and Delphi consensus study

Abstract

Background The potential of the electronic health record to support safety-netting has been recognised and a number of electronic safety-netting (E-SN) tools developed.

Aim To establish the most important features of E-SN tools.

Design & setting User experience interviews carried out with primary care staff who had trialled the EMIS E-SN toolkit for suspected cancer, and a Delphi study with primary care staff involved in safety-netting in any capacity.

Method The user experience interviews were carried out remotely. An electronic modified Delphi approach was used to measure consensus on tool features.

Results Thirteen user experience interviews were carried out and features of E-SN tools seen as important formed the majority of the features included in the Delphi study. Three rounds of Delphi survey were administered. Sixteen (64%) respondents completed all three rounds, and 28 out of 44 (64%) features reached consensus. Primary care staff also preferred tools that are general in scope.

Conclusion Primary care staff indicated that tools which were not specific to cancer or any other disease and had features that promoted their flexible, efficient, and integrated use were important. However, when the important features were discussed with our PPI group they expressed disappointment that features they believed would make E-SN tools robust and provide a safety-net that is difficult to fall through did not reach consensus. The successful adoption of E-SN tools will rely on an evidence base of their effectiveness. Efforts should be made to assess the impact of these tools on patient outcomes.