[Clinical practice guidelines, what do the internists think?].
OBJECTIVE
Study the opinion and expectations of the internists in the public hospitals in the Brittany area regarding Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG).


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey using an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire, with closed questions concerning age, gender and status (internist in general medicine (IGM) or internist specialization student [ISS]), years and context of practice, the personal opinion of the residents regarding the CPG, the nature of those that they apply, their opinion on the interest and foreseeable impact of efforts in improvements and elaboration and prompting to use the guidelines. Descriptive analysis and statistics (chi 2) were made of the associations between the replies concerning the CPG and the characteristics of the internists.


RESULTS
Among the 106 questionnaires analysed (reply rate: 50%), 96 internists (90%) felt that the advantages of the CPG were greater than their inconveniences and 66 (62%) claimed they applied the CPG in routine practice. Eighty-five (80%) considered efforts to improve the elaboration of CPG were of interest and 97 (91%) replied likewise regarding their accompanied diffusion. Guidelines concerning both diagnosis and treatment of common diseases, developed on national level and adapted locally, presented in summarized pocket-sized form and transmitted directly by the physicians of the department would have the best chance of being used.


CONCLUSIONS
Any program aimed at developing the use of CPG in hospital departments should take into account the enthusiasm of the internists, but also the implication of senior physicians required in their specific accompanied diffusion.
Riou
E
E
Service d'epidémiologie et hygiène hospitalières, Hôpital Pontchaillou, 2, rue Henri Le Guilloux, 35033 Rennes. francoise.riou@univ-rennes1.fr
Veillard
D
D
Jarno
P
P
Coutté
M B
MB
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D008297:Male; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*