How the relationships between general practitioners and intensivists can be improved: the general practitioners' point of view.
BACKGROUND
The present study assessed the opinion of general practitioners (GPs) concerning their relationships with intensivists.


METHODS
An anonymous questionnaire was mailed to 7,239 GPs. GPs were asked about their professional activities, postgraduate intensive care unit (ICU) training, the rate of patient admittance to ICUs, and their relationships with intensivists. Relationship assessment was performed by using a graduated visual analogue scale (VAS) ranging from 0 (dissatisfaction) to 100 (satisfaction). A multivariate analysis with stepwise logistic regression was performed to isolate factors explaining dissatisfaction (VAS score, < 25th percentile).


RESULTS
Twenty-two percent of the GPs (1,561) responded. The median satisfaction score was 57 of 100 (interquartile (IQ), 35 to 77]. Five independent factors of dissatisfaction were identified: no information provided to GPs at patient admission (odds ratio (OR) = 2.55 (1.71 to 3.80)); poor quality of family reception in the ICU (OR = 2.06 (1.40 to 3.02)); the ICU's family contact person's identity or function or both is unclear (OR = 1.48 (1.03 to 2.12)), lack of family information (OR = 2.02 (2.48 to 2.75)), and lack of discharge report (OR = 3.39 (1.70 to 6.76)). Three independent factors prevent dissatisfaction: age of GPs <or=45 years (OR = 0.69 (0.51 to 0.94)); the GP is called at patient ICU admission (OR = 0.44 (0.31 to 0.63)); and GP involvement in treatment decisions (OR = 0.17 (0.07 to 0.40)).


CONCLUSIONS
Considerable improvement in GP/intensivist relationships can be achieved through increased communication measures.
Etesse
Bérengère
B
Division Anesthésie Réanimation Douleur Urgences, Groupe Hospitalo-Universitaire Caremeau, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Nîmes, Place du Professeur Robert Debré, 30029 Nîmes Cedex 9, France. berengere.etesse@chu-nimes.fr
Jaber
Samir
S
Mura
Thibault
T
Leone
Marc
M
Constantin
Jean-Michel
JM
Michelet
Pierre
P
Zoric
Lana
L
Capdevila
Xavier
X
Malavielle
François
F
Allaouchiche
Bernard
B
Orban
Jean-Christophe
JC
Fabbro-Peray
Pascale
P
Lefrant
Jean-Yves
JY
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000078329:Workforce