title: Medical care of doctors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe doctors' attitudes towards their own medical care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Postal survey asking 2564 doctors about their access to, and use of, medical services. The sample, 14% of all New South Wales doctors, was randomly selected from the NSW Register of Medical Practitioners. To ensure anonymity, non-respondents were not followed up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 44%. Only 42% of respondents had a general practitioner and most had self-prescribed medication. Nineteen per cent reported marital disturbances, 18% emotional disorders, 3% alcohol problems and 1% drug abuse, but not many had discussed these problems with their doctor. Twenty-six per cent had a condition warranting a medical consultation but felt inhibited about consulting a doctor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many doctors lack adequate medical care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We recommend that doctors have their own general practitioner, avoid "corridor consultations" and not self-prescribe drugs that affect mental function. Teaching of appropriate help-seeking responses should be part of medical education.
authors.affiliation: Doctors' Health Advisory Service (NSW), Sydney.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pullen
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Lonie
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lyle
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Cam
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Doughty
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010815:Physician Impairment / Q000523:psychology; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012651:Self Medication; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires