title: Determinants of vitamin D supplementation prescription in nursing homes: a survey among general practitioners.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  A total of 119 GPs participated to a survey aimed to assess the profile and determinants of vitamin D supplementation prescription in nursing homes. Among the respondent GPs, 65 (54.6%) systematically prescribe vitamin D to their institutionalized patients and the 54 (45.4%) others prescribe only sometimes.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study is to assess the profile and determinants of vitamin D supplementation prescription in nursing homes.
  
  
  METHODS
  General practitioners (GPs) having at least one patient in a nursing home in Liège, Belgium, were asked to complete the survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 119 GPs participated in the survey. Among the respondent GPs, 65 (54.6 %) systematically prescribe vitamin D to their institutionalized patients and the 54 (45.4%) others prescribe only sometimes. The main reasons for prescribing vitamin D cited by GPs who do so systematically are as follows: because they believe nursing home residents are mostly deficient in vitamin D status (92.1%), because they believe that vitamin D supplementation prevents osteoporotic fractures (77.8%), and because vitamin D supplementation is recommended by various scientific societies (38.1%). GPs who only prescribe vitamin D supplementation in some patients mainly do so following a diagnosis of osteoporosis (82.4%), on the basis the 25(OH)D level (78.4%), in the case of history of fracture (54.9%) or after a recent fracture (43.4%). Surprisingly, 16 physicians (31.4%) only prescribe vitamin D when they think of it. Interestingly, while 40.7% of GPs always prescribe the same dose of vitamin D, the remaining 59.3% prescribe a dose that will mainly depend on the results of the 25(OH)D level (94.0%), the patient's bone health (49.3%), or history of fracture (43.3%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More than half of GPs systematically prescribe vitamin D to their patients living in nursing homes. The other GPs usually prescribe vitamin D following the result of the vitamin D status or after a diagnosis of osteoporosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public health, Epidemiology and health Economics, University of Liège, CHU - Sart Tilman, Bât. B23, Quartier Hôpital, Avenue Hippocrate, 13, 4000, Liège, Belgium. fanny.buckinx@ulg.ac.be.|Support Unit in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium. fanny.buckinx@ulg.ac.be.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Buckinx
authors.affiliation: Department of Public health, Epidemiology and health Economics, University of Liège, CHU - Sart Tilman, Bât. B23, Quartier Hôpital, Avenue Hippocrate, 13, 4000, Liège, Belgium.|Support Unit in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Reginster
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Chemistry, CHU of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cavalier
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Department, CHU of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Petermans
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Department, CHU of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ricour
authors.affiliation: "Maison Médicale Oxygène", Seraing, Belgium.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dardenne
authors.affiliation: Department of Public health, Epidemiology and health Economics, University of Liège, CHU - Sart Tilman, Bât. B23, Quartier Hôpital, Avenue Hippocrate, 13, 4000, Liège, Belgium.|Support Unit in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.|Department of Motricity Sciences, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bruyère
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001530:Belgium; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000523:psychology; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D
keywords: General practitioners; Nursing homes; Survey; Vitamin D