title: [Procedures Performed in General Practice - a Cross-sectional Study].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  General practice offers basic medical care to patients. Therefore, general practitioners (GPs) perform a variety of medical procedures. In order to estimate GPs array of services from the perspective of health services research, it is indispensable to know the procedures that are carried out by GPs and identify relevant influencing factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on the results of a selective literature search, the Medical Association's regulations on specialty training and experiences gained so far in developing the competence-based curriculum for general practice, a questionnaire covering 89 procedures was developed and sent to 1 576 general practitioners all over Germany.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 42%; 42 of 89 procedures were carried out by at least 50% of the participants. These procedures include the anatomical areas skin, eyes, ears, nose, gastrointestinal tract, urological tract and musculoskeletal system. Significant differences were shown in 25 of the most frequent procedures regarding practices in urban and rural areas, in 9 procedures with regard to the participant's length of occupation in general practice and in 19 procedures regarding male and female participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first survey that shows which procedures are performed by German GPs and how often they are performed. Factors such as practice location in either rural or urban area, physician's gender and years practiced as GP have been identified as important influences on the spectrum of services provided.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Allgemeinmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Lübeck.|Abteilung Allgemeinmedizin und Versorgungsforschung, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Steinhäuser
authors.affiliation: Institut für Allgemeinmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Lübeck.|Abteilung Allgemeinmedizin und Versorgungsforschung, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jäkel
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Allgemeinmedizin und Versorgungsforschung, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Szecsenyi
authors.affiliation: Institut für Allgemeinmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Lübeck.|Abteilung Allgemeinmedizin und Versorgungsforschung, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goetz
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Allgemeinmedizin und Versorgungsforschung, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ledig
authors.affiliation: Institut für Allgemeinmedizin und Interprofessionelle Versorgung Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen.|Abteilung Allgemeinmedizin und Versorgungsforschung, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Joos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice; D005858:Germany; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires