Maintaining gender sensitivity in the family practice: facilitators and barriers.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to identify the facilitators and barriers perceived by General Practitioners (GPs) to maintain a gender perspective in family practice.


METHODS
Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted among nine pairs of GPs. The data were analysed by means of deductive content analysis using theory-based methods to generate facilitators and barriers to gender sensitivity.


RESULTS
Gender sensitivity in family practice can be influenced by several factors which ultimately determine the extent to which a gender sensitive approach is satisfactorily practiced by GPs in the doctor-patient relationship. Gender awareness, repetition and reminders, motivation triggers and professional guidelines were found to facilitate gender sensitivity. On the other hand, lacking skills and routines, scepticism, heavy workload and the timing of implementation were found to be barriers to gender sensitivity.


CONCLUSIONS
While the potential effect of each factor affecting gender sensitivity in family practice has been elucidated, the effects of the interplay between these factors still need to be determined.
Celik
Halime
H
Department of Health, Ethics and Society, School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands. h.celik@hes.unimaas.nl
Lagro-Janssen
Toine
T
Klinge
Ineke
I
van der Weijden
Trudy
T
Widdershoven
Guy
G
D018864:Cultural Diversity; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012737:Sex Factors