title: Attitudes and management of alcohol problems in general practice: descriptive analysis based on findings of a World Health Organization international collaborative survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if general practitioners' (GPs) experience of education on alcohol, support in their working environment for intervening with alcohol problems, and their attitudes have an impact on the number of patients they manage with alcohol problems.
  
  
  METHODS
  1300 GPs from nine countries were surveyed with a postal questionnaire as part of a World Health Organization (WHO) collaborative study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GPs who received more education on alcohol (OR = 1.5; 95% CI, 1.3-1.7), who perceived that they were working in a supportive environment (OR = 1.6; 95% CI, 1.4-1.9), who expressed higher role security in working with alcohol problems (OR = 2.0; 95% CI, 1.5-2.5) and who reported greater therapeutic commitment to working with alcohol problems (OR = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1-1.7) were more likely to manage patients with alcohol-related harm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both education and support in the working environment need to be provided to enhance the involvement of GPs in the management of alcohol problems.
authors: Centre for Quality of Care Research, University Medical Centre Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. PDAnderson@compuserve.com
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Anderson
authors: Eileen
authors: E
authors: Kaner
authors: Sonia
authors: S
authors: Wutzke
authors: Michel
authors: M
authors: Wensing
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Grol
authors: Nick
authors: N
authors: Heather
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Saunders
mesh_terms: D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D001290:Attitude; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D010819:Physician's Role; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D014944:World Health Organization