The menopause and hormone replacement therapy: Australian general practitioners' self-reported opinions, attitudes and behaviour.
OBJECTIVE
We describe the attitude and views of general practitioners towards the menopause and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in metropolitan Brisbane, Australia.


METHODS
A total of 216 general practitioners were nominated by a random sample of urband-welling women aged 45-54 years who formed the Brisbane Women's health study. A 20-30 minute face-to-face questionnaire with the general practitioners was administered and analysed by demographic characteristics.


RESULTS
There was a 93% response rate. Management of the menopause and HRT was routinely undertaken by general practitioners for their own patients. After deciding to initiate HRT, > 60% of general practitioners ordered five investigations or more. They may have confused the risk of thrombo-embolism from oestrogens used in the post-menopause with that for contraception. There were differences between male and female practitioners in some areas. Male general practitioners, in particular, reported more difficulty with tailoring and adjusting regimes.


CONCLUSIONS
Specific areas for further education are explored to meet the educational needs of general practitioners.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Queensland, Mater Hospital, South Brisbane, Australia.
V
V
O'Connor
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Del Mar
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M
Sheehan
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Fox-Young
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C
Cragg
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Siskind
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011793:Queensland