Attitudes & behaviors toward the management of tobacco smoking patients: qualitative study with French primary care physicians.

BACKGROUND: Smoking cessation is a major public health issue. In France, primary care physicians (PCP) are the first contact points for tobacco management. The objective of this study was to understand how PCPs are involved in the management of smoking cessation: ownership, commitment, barriers. METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted using group and individual semi-structured techniques with PCPs. A thematic analysis of verbatim transcripts was performed to identify concepts and sub-concepts of interest. Saturation was evaluated retrospectively to ensure adequate sample size. RESULTS: A sample of 35 PCPs were interviewed, 31 in four focus groups and four in individual interviews. PCPs discussed their roles in the management of tobacco smoking cessation, including the different strategies they are using (e.g., Minimal Intervention Strategy, Motivational Interviewing), the multiple barriers encountered (e.g., lack of time, patients' resistance to medical advice), the support resources and the treatment and intervention they prescribed (e.g. nicotine replacement therapy, supporting therapist). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a better understanding of the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of PCPs in managing smoking cessation. Guiding and encouraging patients toward smoking cessation remains a major objective of PCPs. While PCPs reported that progress has been made in recent years in terms of tools, technology and general awareness, they still face major barriers, some of which could be overcome by appropriate training.

Scoring and psychometric validation of the 'Determinants of Intentions to Vaccinate' (DIVA©) questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: Primary care physicians (PCPs) play a key role regarding vaccination in France. The aims of the present study were to define the scoring rules and to assess the measurement properties of the 'Determinants of Intentions to Vaccinate' (DIVA©) questionnaire that aims to assess PCPs' attitudes and beliefs toward vaccination. METHODS: The DIVA questionnaire was derived from a literature review and PCPs focus groups. Scoring and early validation of the DIVA questionnaire were determined during a cross-sectional study conducted in France. During the study, PCPs had to complete the DIVA questionnaire for any of the six vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) to which they were randomly assigned (measles, pertussis, pneumococcus infection, seasonal influenza, human papillomavirus -HPV- infection and tetanus). Descriptive analyses of items and the analysis of the grouping of items into domains were conducted. Internal consistency reliability and construct validity was assessed according to each VPD. RESULTS: The DIVA questionnaire was completed by 1,069 PCPs and was well accepted. The 'Commitment of the PCP to the vaccination approach' score showed very good internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha >0.70 overall and for each VPD). The construct validity of the DIVA questionnaire was confirmed. CONCLUSIONS: The DIVA questionnaire is a valid and reliable measure of PCPs' attitudes and beliefs toward vaccination.

[The commitment of French general practitioners to vaccination: the DIVA study (Determinants of Vaccination Intentions)]. / L’engagement des médecins généralistes français dans la vaccination : l’étude DIVA (Déterminants des Intentions de Vaccination).

OBJECTIVES: Vaccination is an effective way to reduce morbidity and mortality related to infectious diseases. In France, primary care physicians are the main administrators of vaccines. Our objective was to conduct an exploratory qualitative study with primary care physicians to identify determinants of their commitment to vaccination. METHODS: A qualitative research study was conducted with 36 primary care physicians from different geographical regions in France. Six focus group discussions, following a semi-structured interview guide, were held. Qualitative analysis based on coding of the transcribed discussions was performed to identify the factors influencing primary care physicians' attitudes toward vaccination. These factors were then organized into themes. Saturation was also evaluated. RESULTS: Diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, tuberculosis, pneumococcal infections, meningococcus, human papillomavirus, rotavirus, pertussis, varicella and flu vaccinations were all discussed in each focus group. Saturation was reached from the fourth focus group. Forty identified determinants were divided into six themes: vaccine characteristics, disease characteristics, primary care physicians' past experience, practical aspects, expected benefits and primary care physician-patient relationship. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified the behavioural and organizational determinants influencing primary care physicians' attitudes toward vaccination. These attitudes and determinants varied according to diseases and vaccines. The identified determinants and themes were used as a basis for the development of a questionnaire evaluating the Determinant of Vaccination Intentions (DIVA) of primary care physicians.

[Feasibility, in general practice, to give to the patients clear, loyal and appropriate information about the undesirable side effects of the medicines prescribed. EICLAT study]. / Faisabilité en médecine générale d'une information claire, loyale et appropriée des patients sur les effets indésirables des médicaments prescrits. Etude EICLAT.

Drug prescription in general practice is present in 78 to 83% of consultations; practitioners must give to their patient clear loyal and appropriate information about the undesirable side effects of the medicines prescribed. The object of the EICLAT study was to give some light on the feasibility to respect this obligation. To that effect the study evaluates, for a normal prescription activity, the average number of potential undesirable side effects (USE) in relation with the number of lines of different medicines prescribed in each doctor's prescription. A total of 8,382 doctor's prescriptions, generating 34,427 lines of prescriptions given by 175 general practitioners, were analysed. Amongst these prescriptions, 11% included only one line, 55% from 2 to 4 lines and 34% 5 lines or more. The average doctor's prescription was of 4 lines of medicines generating 407 potential USE, of which 194 were different (the same undesirable effect may be present twice or more in the same doctor's prescription), and 293 frequent or serious potential USE, of which 166 were different. The patent medicines with a major or important added medical value (AMV), present in 7,840 doctor's prescriptions for a total of 24,127 lines exposed the patient, in the average, to 151 frequent or serious USE different. The patent medicines with an insufficient AMV, present in 2,292 prescriptions for a total of 3,887 lines, exposed the patient to 37 frequent and/or serious potential USE. Supposing that the information provided by the legal authority is sufficiently adequate, precise and exhaustive, the volume of information that must be given to the patient is not compatible with the present conditions of exercise of the profession.

[Acute fever: has the media coverage of the swine flu generated a medical overconsumption in primary care in France?]. / Etat fébrile: la médiatisation de la grippe A(H1N1)v a-t-elle généré une surconsommation médicale en médecine générale? Etude prospective utilisant un questionnaire informatisé accessible en ligne.

OBJECTIVE: Based on patient's declarations, evaluate if the media coverage of the pandemic flu (H1N1) has lead to an overconsumption of primary care. Identify the opinions of the general practionners (GP) concerning this media coverage and the health crisis. METHODS: A prospective study, based on an electronic questionnaire, was conducted during the main period of the pandemic flu. Each GP was invited to include one patient who presented fever since less than 2 days, associated to two of four following clinical signs: cough, headache, coat throat and ache. RESULTS: 730 questionnaires were fully completed and analyzed. 96 patients (12,9%) have declared to the GP an overconsumption, and two thirds of them because of their concern about the swine flu and a quarter because the social control. This concern was noted by 80% of the GP from the beginning of the flu 77% of the GP have considered the media coverage of the flu alarming, while 69% of them have declared to feel serene concerning the pandemic. No statistic link has been noticed between the GP opinions and the overconsumption of their patients. DISCUSSION: Media coverage of the swine flu and the state organization of the crisis have lead to an overconsumption estimated to 13%. Many efforts must be done in the future to reassure patients about flu and its vaccination.

Preventive service delivery: a new insight into French general practice.

OBJECTIVE: The importance of prevention is increasingly recognised in most developed countries. General practitioners (GPs) have got a key role to play in this domain in primary care. But, the research evidence still concludes that GPs' preventive activities remain most of the time insufficient. The aim of our study was to contribute to this debate in adopting a more broad view of prevention-related activities to better understand the GPs practice in this matter. Our study was undertaken to measure the part of prevention-related activity hidden in each of the morbid conditions (MC) seen by the doctors daily. METHODS: We carried out a cross-sectional study in a sample of 75 French GPs in the south suburb of Paris. We dropped the usual pre-established and limited list of specific preventive care activities to replace it with a list of 100 most common morbid conditions seen by the GPs in daily practice. The GPs were asked for each selected MC to rate on a five-item Likert scale the amount of primary and secondary prevention they generally offer during a patient visit. RESULTS: All MC confounded, secondary prevention reached an average score of 3.2 (inter-quartile interval 2.82-3.58). The intensity of primary prevention was somewhat lower, but far from being negligible. Its average score was 2.3 (inter-quartile interval of 1.86-2.73). If more than 50% of the GPs declare a low intensity of primary prevention activity or even no primary prevention activity at all in nearly 3/4 of the MC encountered in their daily practice, they also declare that they carry out a considerable amount of primary prevention or in some cases spend the entire patient visit to primary prevention for MC covering more than 25% of their daily activity. Also, even if a majority of GPs did not give clear-cut scores for secondary prevention for 2/3 of the MC, they declare a considerable amount of it for the remaining 1/3 which covers more than 25% of their activity. CONCLUSION: Our study was useful to offer a more realistic view of the real place of the prevention-related activities in the GPs daily primary care practice even if we assess neither the appropriateness nor the quality of these activities.