title: [The self-perception of their professional role of the primary care physicians of Estonia and Finland].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To find out how experienced primary care physicians working in different societies see themselves as doctors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary health care in Estonia and Finland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Estonian district doctors (n = 110) and Finnish specialists of general practice (n = 211).
  
  
  METHODS
  In a postal questionnaire the respondents were asked to evaluate how well 18 different expressions described them as doctors on a 5-step scale from "1 = very poorly" to "5 = very well".
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four of the five expressions that were thought most accurate and telling--"Listener", "Vocational doctor", "Helper", and "Family physician"--were the same in Estonia and Finland.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even though there are differences in health care systems, the self-images of primary care doctors in both countries were more or less consistent with the international definitions of the general practitioner's job and role.
authors.affiliation: Escuela de Medicina, Departamento de Medicina General, Universidad de Tampere, Finlandia.
authors.forename: I O
authors.initials: IO
authors.lastname: Virjo
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Mattila
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lember
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kermes
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pikk
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Isokoski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004957:Estonia; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010819:Physician's Role; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires