title: Receptionist rECognition and rEferral of PaTients with Stroke (RECEPTS) study - protocol of a mixed methods study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As the first point of contact for patients and witnesses of stroke, General Practice receptionists can be instrumental in deciding the urgency of clinical contact. Despite the considerable complexity of this task, reception staff are not clinically trained. Minimising the time taken to access thrombolysis is crucial in acute stroke as treatment must be initiated within 4.5 hours of the onset, and the earlier the better, to achieve the best outcomes. Research suggests that patients who first contact their General Practice following the onset of stroke symptoms are less likely to receive thrombolysis, in part due to significant delays within Primary Care.This study therefore aims to understand the role of General Practice receptionists, with particular interest in receptionist's ability to recognise people who may be suffering from a stroke and to handle such patients as a medical emergency.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Receptionist rECognition and rEferral of PaTients with Stroke (RECEPTS) study will be a Primary Care based mixed methods study. 60 General Practices in the West Midlands will be recruited. Each practice will receive 10 unannounced simulated patient telephone calls, after the 10 calls questionnaires will be administered to each receptionist. These will examine the behaviour of receptionists towards patients presenting in Primary Care with stroke symptoms, and their knowledge of stroke symptoms. An embedded qualitative study will use interviews and focus groups to investigate the views of General Practice staff on the receptionists' role in patient referral and whether training in this area would be helpful.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the RECEPTS study will have important implications for providers of Primary Care. The study will establish current practice in UK primary care in terms of General Practice receptionists' knowledge of the presentation and appropriate referral of those who may be suffering a stroke. It will highlight training needs and how such training might be best delivered.
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Sheppard
authors.forename: Satinder
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Primary Care Clinical Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. e.j.bates@bham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bates
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Skelton
authors.forename: Connie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wiskin
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: McManus
authors.forename: Ruth M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Mellor
mesh_terms: D004739:England; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D058006:General Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008496:Medical Receptionists; D024382:Professional Role; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012107:Research Design; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013689:Telephone