European general practitioners' attitudes towards person-centred care and factors that influence its implementation in everyday practice: The protocol of the cross-sectional PACE GP/FP study in 24 European countries

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Person-centred care (PCC) is a fundamental principle in general practice, emphasising practices tailored to individual patient preferences, needs, and values. Despite the importance of PCC, general practitioners (GPs) face obstacles in effectively implementing it, with associated factors remaining unclear. OBJECTIVES: The PACE GP/FP study aims to explore GPs' attitudes towards PCC and the factors facilitating or hindering its implementation in daily practice across European countries. This paper outlines the PACE GP/FP study protocol. METHODS: The cross-sectional design with data collection via an online survey distribution to GPs in 24 European countries. Study instruments include two validated questionnaires (Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Patient Physician Orientation Scale (PPOS)) and additional items covering general information about the doctor and their practice, as well as facilitators and barriers to PCC. These additional items were specifically developed for the study, translated using the forward-backward method, evaluated through cognitive debriefing, and integrated into the REDCap platform to create language and country-specific survey links. The STROBE checklist guides the reporting of the manuscript. CONCLUSION: The PACE GP/FP study will provide a comprehensive exploration of GPs' attitudes towards PCC and the factors shaping its practice in Europe. The findings from the PACE GP/FP study will provide evidence for designing future implementation strategies and guide targeted interventions to promote PCC in primary care across Europe.