Occupational Medicine 2017;67:33–37 Advance Access publication 3 October 2016 doi:10.1093/occmed/kqw135
Illness behaviour of general practitioners—a cross-sectional survey S. Schulz1, F. Einsle2, N. Schneider1, M. Wensing3 and J. Gensichen1,4 Institute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Friedrich Schiller University, School of Medicine, Jena University Hospital, D-07743 Jena, Germany, 2Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Chemnitzer Str. 46, D-01187 Dresden, Germany, 3Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Radboud Institute of Health Sciences, PO Box 9101, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands, 4Institute of General Practice/Family Medicine, University Hospital of LMU Munich, Pettenkoferstr. 8a/10, 80336 München, Germany. 1
Correspondence to: S. Schulz, Institute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Friedrich Schiller University, School of Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Bachstr. 18, D-07743 Jena, Germany. Tel: +49 (0) 3641 9395804; fax: +49 (0) 3641 9395802; e-mail: [email protected] Background International guidelines recommend that physicians should be registered with a general practitioner (GP) and should avoid self-treatment. Adherence to these recommendations is mixed. Aims
To describe illness behaviour and chronic medical conditions of GPs in Germany.
Methods
Cross-sectional, observational questionnaire study. We contacted 1000 GPs by mail in April 2014. We asked about registration with a GP, chronic conditions and self-treatment. We undertook descriptive statistical analysis and analysed associations using t-tests and chi-square test.
Results
Two hundred and eighty-five responses (29%) were eligible for analysis. Nineteen per cent of GPs were registered as patients of a GP, 58% reported at least one chronic condition, 68% disclosed selfdiagnosis and 60% self-treatment. Self-therapy for chronic conditions was inversely correlated with subjective severity of the disease (r = −0.159; P
Illness behaviour of general practitioners—a cross-sectional survey S. Schulz1, F. Einsle2, N. Schneider1, M. Wensing3 and J. Gensichen1,4 Institute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Friedrich Schiller University, School of Medicine, Jena University Hospital, D-07743 Jena, Germany, 2Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Chemnitzer Str. 46, D-01187 Dresden, Germany, 3Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Radboud Institute of Health Sciences, PO Box 9101, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands, 4Institute of General Practice/Family Medicine, University Hospital of LMU Munich, Pettenkoferstr. 8a/10, 80336 München, Germany. 1
Correspondence to: S. Schulz, Institute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Friedrich Schiller University, School of Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Bachstr. 18, D-07743 Jena, Germany. Tel: +49 (0) 3641 9395804; fax: +49 (0) 3641 9395802; e-mail: [email protected] Background International guidelines recommend that physicians should be registered with a general practitioner (GP) and should avoid self-treatment. Adherence to these recommendations is mixed. Aims
To describe illness behaviour and chronic medical conditions of GPs in Germany.
Methods
Cross-sectional, observational questionnaire study. We contacted 1000 GPs by mail in April 2014. We asked about registration with a GP, chronic conditions and self-treatment. We undertook descriptive statistical analysis and analysed associations using t-tests and chi-square test.
Results
Two hundred and eighty-five responses (29%) were eligible for analysis. Nineteen per cent of GPs were registered as patients of a GP, 58% reported at least one chronic condition, 68% disclosed selfdiagnosis and 60% self-treatment. Self-therapy for chronic conditions was inversely correlated with subjective severity of the disease (r = −0.159; P
