[Performance of family practitioners according to the guideline otitis media acuta of the Dutch College of Family Practitioners].
OBJECTIVE
To establish to which degree the guidelines of the Otitis media acuta standard of the Netherlands college of general practitioners (NHG) are followed in practice and what is GPs' opinion of them.


METHODS
Survey.


METHODS
65 general practitioners settled throughout the Netherlands.


METHODS
The GPs were recruited for the study by means of an advertisement and a personal approach. Opinions and performances were inventoried using a questionnaire and self-completion forms for successive doctor-patient contacts, respectively.


RESULTS
Virtually all participants were familiar with the NHG standard and most were familiar with three central guidelines. Of these three, the recommendation of an active follow-up policy for children up to the age of 2 was known to the fewest GPs, and this recommendation also received the least support. In the 327 consultations recorded there was good agreement between actual performance and the guidelines, especially as regards history-taking, physical examination and diagnosing. Regarding management and patient information the agreement was less. Concerning the follow-up policy for young children and the prescribing of antibiotics, actual performance clearly differed from the NHG standard, possibly because the relevant guidelines were less well known.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study are relevant to the planning of GP education and the evaluation of the guidelines themselves.
Dalhuijsen
J
J
Werkgroep Onderzoek Kwaliteit Huisartsgeneeskunde van de Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen.
Zwaard
A M
AM
Grol
R P
RP
Mokkink
H M
HM
D000208:Acute Disease; D000698:Analgesia; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005194:Family Practice; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009426:Netherlands; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D012955:Societies, Medical
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
Het handelen van huisartsen volgens de standaard Otitis media acuta van het Nederlands Huisartsen Genootschap.