title: Patients' and doctors' views on respiratory tract symptoms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the views of patients and doctors on respiratory tract symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Transversal survey among patients and general practitioners.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary health care and community.
  
  
  METHODS
  51 patients attending a general practitioner, 38 patients in the community, 7 general practitioners.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients' and doctors' views on respiratory tract symptoms and differences between them: agreement with statements rated on a 5-point scale, ranging from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree."
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients less than doctors endorsed the self-limiting character of cough, sore throat and earache (mean 3.1, 3.4 and 2.9 versus 4.1, 4.1 and 3.7) and patients--much more than doctors--rated antibiotics as being necessary for cough and sore throat (mean 2.7 and 2.9 versus 1.7 and 17) and believed that antibiotics speed recovery (mean 3.7 versus 2.0). However, there was little difference relating to the necessity to see a doctor after some time period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients appeared to differ from doctors in views on respiratory tract symptoms. The results stress the importance of exploring patients' views when being confronted by patients suffering from respiratory tract symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands. hjvduijn@knmg.nl
authors.forename: Huug
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van Duijn
authors.forename: Marijke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuyvenhoven
authors.forename: Ineke
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Welschen
authors.forename: Henk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: den Ouden
authors.forename: Andries
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Slootweg
authors.forename: Theo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Verheij
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003371:Cough / Q000188:drug therapy; D004363:Drug Utilization; D006801:Humans; D009426:Netherlands; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000188:drug therapy; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents