Preventive and promotive medicine in ambulatory clinical practice: a prospective simulated patient study.
OBJECTIVE
This study examines the extent to which preventive and promotive advice is integrated into the clinical practice of doctors.


METHODS
Using a cross-sectional descriptive survey design, the study compares the performance of doctors in giving healthy lifestyle advice for five clinical conditions, their perceived practice and their rating on the importance of disseminating selected key lifestyle messages.


METHODS
A total of 28 volunteers were trained to simulate the five clinical conditions which required related health advice and to rate the doctors' performance with the use of a prepared checklist. Simulated patient ratings of 343 doctor-patient encounters provided the data on doctors' health promotion efforts for the selected clinical conditions. A post-visit self-administered questionnaire survey of a sub-sample of 100 doctors gave an insight into their opinions and perceived practice.


RESULTS
Only in 49% of the instances was a health promotion message given. The doctors' encouraging interest in health education and health promotion and their positive perceptions of their volume of healthy lifestyle counselling were not borne out in actual clinical practice.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that the extent of preventive and promotive health education in both the public and private health sectors is unacceptably low. The matter needs to be addressed through training programmes as well as the formulation of clear health promotion priorities and strategies in Malaysia.
Wong
Y Y
YY
Public Health Institute, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Nordin
M
M
Suleiman
A B
AB
D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008296:Malaysia; D016544:Patient Simulation; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires