Doctors' health-seeking behaviour: a questionnaire survey.
OBJECTIVE
To explore doctors' perceptions of the acceptable limits to self-treatment and to identify barriers to doctors seeking appropriate healthcare.


METHODS
Self-completion, postal survey using three hypothetical case vignettes.


METHODS
896 Australian doctors randomly selected from the Health Insurance Commission database and stratified by sex, discipline (general practitioner or specialist) and location (urban or rural). Data were collected between May and July 2001.


METHODS
Doctors' self-reported attitudes on illness behaviour and choice of medical care in response to case vignettes.


RESULTS
358 (40%) doctors returned questionnaires. More participants believed it was acceptable to self-treat acute conditions (315/351; 90%) than to self-treat chronic conditions (88/350; 25%). Nine per cent (30/351) of participants believed it was acceptable to self-prescribe psychotropic medication. A greater proportion of GPs (206/230; 90%) than specialists (101/121; 83%) believed doctors are reluctant to attend another doctor, especially if the problem is psychological. Women and GPs were significantly less likely to report that it was easy to find a satisfactory treating doctor (women, 58/140 [41%]; men, 128/211 [61%]; GPs, 106/231 [46%]; specialists, 80/120 [67%]). Being a specialist was predictive of seeking appropriate healthcare for all three vignettes.


CONCLUSIONS
Doctors have varying opinions regarding the acceptability of self-treating chronic conditions, and perceive considerable barriers to seeking appropriate medical care. Strategies are needed to challenge the culture of self-reliance.
Davidson
Sandra K
SK
Department of General Practice, Monash University, East Bentleigh, VIC. Sandra.Davidson@med.monash.edu.au
Schattner
Peter L
PL
D001294:Attitude to Health; D001315:Australia; D003625:Data Collection; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008511:Medicine; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010820:Physicians / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012648:Self Care; D013038:Specialization