title: Dutch general practitioners' attitudes towards the climacteric and its treatment.
abstract: In order to obtain insight into general practitioners' (GPs) point of view regarding climacteric problems and possible treatment, a survey was conducted among 195 GPs in the Limburg Province in the Netherlands. Ultimately, 159 GPs participated (response-rate 82%). The GPs were either members of the Society for the Improvement of the Expertise of GPs, or filled out the questionnaire previous to participation in a medical training course. The climacteric and its typically related complaints were generally well recognized by the surveyed GPs. Ninety-five percent of the GPs were of the opinion that women with climacteric complaints need some kind of medical help, and 62% were found to prescribe medication, mainly hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Remarkably, 75% of all GPs were of the opinion that prescribing HRT for climacteric complaints is a form of medicalization. Twelve percent of the GPs stated they never prescribe HRT for solely preventive purposes. In case of preventive treatment merely 32% of the GPs prescribed HRT for a period longer than 5 years.
authors.affiliation: International Health Foundation, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stouthamer
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Visser
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Oddens
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Beusmans
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hoogland
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: van Ree
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zuidweg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002979:Climacteric; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D010821:Physicians, Family; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires