TY - JOUR
KW - Ambulatory Care/economics
KW - Attitude of Health Personnel
KW - Clinical Competence
KW - Cross-Sectional Studies
KW - Female
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Mental Health Services/economics/supply & distribution
KW - Methadone/administration & dosage
KW - Physician-Patient Relations
KW - Physicians, Family/psychology/statistics & numerical data
KW - Primary Health Care/economics
KW - Questionnaires
KW - Refusal to Treat/statistics & numerical data
KW - Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiology/therapy
KW - Switzerland
AU - A. Pelet
AU - J. Besson
AU - A. Pecoud
AU - B. Favrat
A1 - 
AB - BACKGROUND: In Switzerland, general practitioners (GPs) manage most of the patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). METHODS: Using a cross-sectional postal survey of GPs who treat MMT patients and GPs who do not, we studied the difficulties encountered in the out-patient management of drug-addicted patients. We sent a questionnaire to every GP with MMT patients (556) in the French-speaking part of Switzerland (1,757,000 inhabitants). We sent another shorter questionnaire to primary care physicians without MMT patients living in the Swiss Canton of Vaud. RESULTS: The response rate was 63.3%. The highest methadone dose given by GPs to MMT patients averaged 120.4 mg/day. When asked about help they would like to be given, GPs with MMT patients primarily mentioned the importance of receiving adequate fees for the care they provide. Secondly, they mentioned the importance of better training, better knowledge of psychiatric pathologies, and discussion groups on practical cases. GPs without MMT patients refuse to treat these patients mostly for emotional and relational reasons. CONCLUSION: GPs encounter financial, relational and emotional difficulties with MMT patients. They desire better fees for services and better training.
BT - BMC family practice
C5 - Education & Workforce
CY - England
DO - 10.1186/1471-2296-6-51
JF - BMC family practice
N2 - BACKGROUND: In Switzerland, general practitioners (GPs) manage most of the patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). METHODS: Using a cross-sectional postal survey of GPs who treat MMT patients and GPs who do not, we studied the difficulties encountered in the out-patient management of drug-addicted patients. We sent a questionnaire to every GP with MMT patients (556) in the French-speaking part of Switzerland (1,757,000 inhabitants). We sent another shorter questionnaire to primary care physicians without MMT patients living in the Swiss Canton of Vaud. RESULTS: The response rate was 63.3%. The highest methadone dose given by GPs to MMT patients averaged 120.4 mg/day. When asked about help they would like to be given, GPs with MMT patients primarily mentioned the importance of receiving adequate fees for the care they provide. Secondly, they mentioned the importance of better training, better knowledge of psychiatric pathologies, and discussion groups on practical cases. GPs without MMT patients refuse to treat these patients mostly for emotional and relational reasons. CONCLUSION: GPs encounter financial, relational and emotional difficulties with MMT patients. They desire better fees for services and better training.
PP - England
PY - 2005
SN - 1471-2296; 1471-2296
SP - 51
T1 - Difficulties associated with outpatient management of drug abusers by general practitioners. A cross-sectional survey of general practitioners with and without methadone patients in Switzerland
T2 - BMC family practice
TI - Difficulties associated with outpatient management of drug abusers by general practitioners. A cross-sectional survey of general practitioners with and without methadone patients in Switzerland
U1 - Education & Workforce
U2 - 16364176
U3 - 10.1186/1471-2296-6-51
VL - 6
VO - 1471-2296; 1471-2296
Y1 - 2005
ER -