Between New Responsibility and Daily Routines - The Role of the VERAH in GP Care: A Qualitative Secondary Data Case Study of the Introduction of Software-Based Case Management

Abstract

The concept of Care Assistant in General Practice (VERAH) was developed in order to integrate non-medical staff more strongly into primary care and thus to meet the increasing demand for care and the simultaneous shortage of medical staff. VERAHs are increasingly responsible for software-supported case management and are thus confronted with new tasks. The aim of this study was therefore to explore the role of the VERAH in primary care practices. The present study is a qualitative secondary data analysis; the data collection took place within the projects VESPEERA and TelePraCMan. Twenty individual interviews and two focus group meetings were conducted with a total of 30 physicians, VERAHs and medical assistants from primary care. The data were analysed qualitatively according to Emerson. Contextual and socio-demographic data were collected with an accompanying questionnaire. The VERAHs of all primary care practices from which interview partners participated performed tasks within software-supported case management. Concerning the role of the VERAH, three themes were identified in the interviews: a) concrete tasks of the VERAH in software-supported case management within the practice team, b) relevance of software-supported case management within the activities of the VERAHS and c) relationship between VERAHs and patients. Taking over tasks in software-supported case management can contribute to strengthening and expanding the role of the VERAH. In the future, more attention should be paid to a clear description of the new role, and the conditions of the VERAHs' task fulfilment should be considered.