title: [Local consultations by specialists in urology: an answer to patients' expectations and dwindling physician numbers?].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze patients' views with regards to local consultations given by specialists in urology and to an offer of pre- and postoperative visits in the local general hospital with surgical interventions taking place at the university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  An opinion survey by mail questionnaire was carried out in all 473 patients who had had a consultation with a specialist in two local general hospitals between November 2009 and April 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Response rate was 74%. Mean patient age was 65.5 ± 12 years [range, 20-90]. The reason for the consultation was cancer-related in 31.2% of patients. The majority (89%) made the journey to hospital under their own steam and would have had to travel a 4 times greater distance if the consultation with the specialist had taken place at the university hospital. Overall, 54.6% of patients were willing to travel 20 km further to see a specialist and 76.5% were willing to travel 20 km further for a surgical intervention. Virtually all of the patients (>99%) saw benefits to local consultations given by specialists. The offer of a consultation at the general hospital and intervention at the university hospital met with the approval of 60.8% patients and 56.3% had already experimented this offer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Local consultations by specialists might be an answer to demographic issues in France, that is, to the small number of urologists practicing in general hospitals.
authors.affiliation: Département d'urologie-andrologie, CHU de Reims, 51100 Reims, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leon
authors.affiliation: Département d'urologie-andrologie, CHU de Reims, 51100 Reims, France. Electronic address: thomas_ripert@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ripert
authors.affiliation: Département d'urologie-andrologie, CHU de Reims, 51100 Reims, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pierrevelcin
authors.affiliation: Département d'urologie-andrologie, CHU de Reims, 51100 Reims, France.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bayoud
authors.affiliation: Département d'urologie-andrologie, CHU de Reims, 51100 Reims, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Menard
authors.affiliation: Département d'urologie-andrologie, CHU de Reims, 51100 Reims, France.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Messaoudi
authors.affiliation: Département d'urologie-andrologie, CHU de Reims, 51100 Reims, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Staerman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D013038:Specialization; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures; D014572:Urology; D000078329:Workforce; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Activité professionnelle; Consultation; Consultation avancée; Démographie médicale; Enquête; Medical demography; Professional activity; Pénurie; Shortage; Survey; Urologie; Urology
vernacular_title: Les consultations avancées d'urologie peuvent-elles être une réponse satisfaisante aux attentes des patients et au problème de la démographie médicale?