Child psychiatric networks of health centre doctors.
OBJECTIVE
To ascertain the personal networks GPs use when managing children with psychiatric problems.


METHODS
Cross-sectional postal study.


METHODS
Health centres in the catchment area of Tampere University Hospital, Finland.


METHODS
GPs (n = 755) were sent a postal questionnaire. The response rate was 66.1%.


METHODS
A fill-in picture was used to identify professionals within the network of each GP. The quality of collaboration between GPs and professionals in health centres, other municipal authorities and secondary health care was assessed on a four-step Likert scale.


RESULTS
A majority of respondents (64%) could name at least one person from their health centre with whom they cooperate in child psychiatric cases. The corresponding number in contact with other municipal authorities was 40%, and 25% with secondary care level. Almost all GPs (95%) had mostly positive experiences of cooperation with different professionals in the health centres, 73% with other municipal authorities and 47% with child psychiatric specialist care.


CONCLUSIONS
The personal networks of health centre doctors call for improvement if the increasing child psychiatric problems are to be kept under control. This is a challenge for both primary and secondary care level doctors.
Heikkinen
Anneli
A
Department of General Practice, Medical School, University of Tampere, Finland. anneli.heikkinen@uta.fi
Puura
Kaija
K
Ala-Laurila
Eija-Liisa
EL
Niskanen
Tarja
T
Mattila
Kari
K
D000328:Adult; D002665:Child Psychiatry; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000078329:Workforce