‘If relevant, yes; if not, no’: general practitioner (GP) users and GP perceptions about asking ethnicity questions in Irish general practice: A qualitative analysis using normalization process theory

Context The use of ethnic identifiers in health systems is recommended in several European countries as a means to identify and address heath inequities. There are barriers to implementation that have not been researched. Objective This study examines whether and how ethnicity data can be collected in Irish general practices in a meaningful and acceptable way. Methods Qualitative case study data generation was informed by Normalization Process Theory (NPT) constructs about ‘sense’ making and ‘engagement’. It consisted of individual interviews and focus group discussions based on visual participatory techniques. There were 70 informants, including 62 general practitioner (GP) users of diverse ethnic backgrounds recruited through community organisations and eight GPs identified through an inter-agency steering group. Data were analysed according to principles of thematic analysis using NPT.