Use of health professional cards by general practice locums: frequency and difficulties

Background: Health professional cards are used for electronic production and transmission of medical reimbursement requests. These cards are personal and cannot be lent, including to locums. However, general practice locums often report using the cards of the practitioners they replace. The aim of this study was to assess the use of general practice locum's own professional cards for patient reimbursements in 2013. Methods: A retrospective survey by computerized questionnaire was conducted in 2014 in Lower-Normandy among general practice locums. Data were collected on their possession, knowledge, frequency and difficulties using their own cards in 2013. Results: All locums were familiar with health professional cards, but 71.9% did not know about health professional trainee cards. 71.9% of respondents had a card in 2013 and only 26.1% of them had already used the card. 78.1% of respondents thought they could use the card of the practitioner that they replaced The main difficulties encountered when using health professional cards were the failure of general practitioners to ask locums to use their own cards, problems with software configuration and card installation, and a poor understanding of the purpose of the card. Conclusion: Locums in Lower Normandy in 2013 rarely used their own cards when they have one. Better information concerning use of the cars is required for locums.