Survey of Waikato medical practitioners concerning cardiac pacing.

AIM: To assess the knowledge of Waikato medical practitioners concerning cardiac pacing and its indications. METHOD: Anonymous postal questionnaire. The responses received were compared with those of four New Zealand experts on cardiac pacing. RESULTS: 404 questionnaires were administered of which 204 (50%) were returned, (16.3% physicians, 22.7% JRMO's 61% general practitioners). Virtually all had ready access to diagnostic facilities and were satisfied with the service offered. Physicians were more likely to have referred patients and to have had personal experience with pacing. Practical matters, such as costs and length of the procedure were reasonably well appreciated. The complexity of the procedure, however, was overestimated. Pacemaker function was poorly understood. All practitioner groups were less likely to refer for pacing compared with the experts, but were more likely to refer in the presence of recurrent symptoms, particularly if the patient was elderly. CONCLUSION: A conservative approach to referral for permanent pacing exists in the Waikato region and this is unrelated to access to diagnostic facilities or referral difficulties.