Access to electronic hepatitis C medical files by general practitioners.
OBJECTIVE
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a recognized public health issue in France. Institutional networks were created to improve healthcare practices and facilitate multi-disciplinary care for chronic diseases. The electronic medical file is one of the tools used by the networks to optimize patient care.


METHODS
The main objective of this study was to determine what proportion of general practitioners in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France would be interested in using the electronic medical files for patients with HCV infection. A random sample of 20% of the general practitioners in the region was selected and stratified by administrative district of practice. Among them, a telephone survey identified those interested in the hepatitis electronic medical files and following patients with hepatitis C. A more detailed questionnaire was sent to these interested physicians in order to obtain further information.


RESULTS
Thirty-seven percent of the general practitioners concerned by the question followed patients with HCV infection. The advantages and disadvantages the physicians associated with use of these files were mostly related to the physician's age, attendance of continuing education courses and internet access.


CONCLUSIONS
This study highlighted the fact that a significant number of general practitioners would be interested in accessing electronic medical files for patients with HCV infection. Considering these findings it might be useful to propose a working group including general practitioners and specialists in order to develop a concrete project for implementing electronic medical files for patients with HCV infection.
Fages
M
M
Département de l'information médicale, groupe hospitalo-universitaire Carremeau, 30029 Nîmes cedex 9, France. marionfages@yahoo.fr
Fabbro-Peray
P
P
Daures
J-P
JP
Ribard
D
D
Mourrut
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D008875:Middle Aged; D010821:Physicians, Family; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires