Impact of physician-related factors on sickness certification in primary health care.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate what factors are associated with physicians' decisions on whether or not to sickness certify the patient at a consultation.


METHODS
Questionnaire survey sent to physicians in general practice and their patients.


METHODS
General practitioners in Orebro county, central Sweden.


METHODS
Sixty-five physicians with up to 10 patients each.


METHODS
Whether a sickness certificate was issued.


RESULTS
Physicians with long experience in family medicine and those working part time issued more sickness certificates when all encounters with patients were considered. When only musculoskeletal problems were studied physicians with long experience or who were trained in social insurance medicine as undergraduates issued more sickness certificates. When only appointments for infections were studied, part-time physicians issued more sickness certificates. No impact of the physicians' sex on sickness certifying was found.


CONCLUSIONS
Length of professional experience and physicians' working time appear to influence practices in sickness certifying.
Norrmén
Gunilla
G
Uppsala University, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Family Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology Section, Sweden. gunilla.norrmen@orebroll.se
Svärdsudd
Kurt
K
Andersson
Dan
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002568:Certification; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003657:Decision Making; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010819:Physician's Role; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D018582:Sick Leave; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation