On Thursday 19 June at 14:00, Katrine Bjørnshave Bomholt defends her PhD dissertation entitled "Task shifting in out-of-hours primary care: exploring the potential value of task shifting from general practitioners to nurses in clinics".

Out-of-hours primary care (OOH-PC) faces significant challenges, including high workloads and workforce shortages. Task shifting from general practitioners (GPs) to nurses emerges as a promising strategy to address these issues. A PhD project from Aarhus University, Health, has investigated the potential value of task shifting from GPs to nurses in OOH-PC clinics. The findings indicate that nurses with additional training can safely and efficiently manage a substantial portion of OOH-PC contacts, particularly those involving less urgent and less complex health problems. Successful implementation of task shifting relies on supportive organisational structures, including formal protocols, training, supervision, and informal team dynamics such as familiarity and trust between GPs and nurses. This team-based approach, better characterised as task sharing, enhances job satisfaction among professionals, improves the patient flow, and maintains the quality of care. However, investing in workforce development and establishing clear regulatory frameworks is crucial for scaling and sustaining task shifting in OOH-PC.

The summary is written by the PhD student.

The defence is public and takes place in Auditorium 1252-204, Eduard Biermann, Lakeside Lecture Theatres (Søauditorierne), Aarhus University. Please see the press release for more information. 

Contact

PhD student Katrine Bjørnshave Bomholt
Mail: bangshaab@clin.au.dk 
Phone: +45 5122 9685

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