Table 2 GP comments about HMR barriers

Discomfort due to intrusion of privacy in domestic setting

“Sometimes patients may not want to have somebody come to their house and that might be for a whole range of reasons and it could possibly indicate that there is an issue acting on the domestic front that they feel uncomfortable and this is something that needs to be concerned about.” (GP8)

Lack of awareness on HMR effectiveness

“They don’t fully understand why they need a HMR or how it will benefit them; they are then less likely to go for it.” (GP10)

Long drawn-out process and tedious paperwork

“The other scenario is the mindset that is it an administrative nightmare. You have to do the paperwork and comply with Medicare requirements. There’s a lot of time involved pre and post, you have to read the thing, a lot of doctors just say “oh forget it”. I might as well do consults and leave it there.” (GP1)

GP awareness

“We were not very well exposed to HMRs. Most of our patients are well controlled but we never looked at it as an option as to why the patient needs a HMR or if a patient’s illness was not controlled, we always think of referring to a specialist or we’ll think of other options.” (GP6)

Time constraints

“For me, it’s probably just being busy to be honest with you.” (GP21)

“I think the program has got a lot of merit but I’m not doing them because I’m time poor. Although I think it is a great idea and it is beneficial for patients, I just don’t seem to be able to incorporate them into my busy life.” (GP 15)