General medical practitioners' knowledge and beliefs about osteoporosis and its investigation and management

被引：38
作者：
Renée Otmar
Susanne D. Reventlow
Geoffrey C. Nicholson
Mark A. Kotowicz
Julie A. Pasco
机构：
[1] School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220
[2] Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Sunshine Hospital, St Albans, VIC 3021
[3] Research Unit for General Practice and Section of General Practice, Department of Public Health, Copenhagen University, 1014 Copenhagen K
[4] Rural Clinical School, School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350
[5] Barwon Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong VIC 3220
来源：
Archives of Osteoporosis | 2012年 / 7卷 / 1-2期
关键词：
General medical practitioners; Osteoporosis; Qualitative methods;
D O I：
10.1007/s11657-012-0088-x
中图分类号：
学科分类号：
摘要：
This qualitative study explored beliefs and attitudes regarding osteoporosis and its management. General medical practitioners (GPs) were ambivalent about osteoporosis due to concern about financial barriers for patients and their own beliefs about the salience of osteoporosis. GPs considered investigation and treatment in the context of patients' whole lives. Purpose: We aimed to investigate barriers, enablers, and other factors influencing the investigation and management of osteoporosis using a qualitative approach. This paper analyses data from discussions with general medical practitioners (GPs) about their beliefs and attitudes regarding osteoporosis and its management. Methods: Fourteen GPs and two practice nurses aged 27-89 years participated in four focus groups, from June 2010 to March 2011. Each group comprised 3-5 participants, and discussions were semi-structured, according to the protocol developed for the main study. Discussion points ranged from the circumstances under which GPs would initiate investigation for osteoporosis and their subsequent actions to their views about treatment efficacy and patient adherence to prescribed treatment. Audio recordings were transcribed and coded for analysis using analytic comparison to identify the major themes. Results: The GPs were not particularly concerned about osteoporosis in their patients or the general population, ranking diabetes, osteoarthritis, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension higher than concern about osteoporosis. They expressed confidence in the efficacy of anti-fracture medications but were concerned about the potential financial burden on patients with limited incomes. The GPs were unsure about guidelines for investigation and management of osteoporosis in men and the appropriate duration of treatment, particularly for the bisphosphonates in all patients. Conclusions: The GPs' ambivalence about osteoporosis appeared to stem from structural factors such as financial barriers for patients and their own beliefs about the salience of osteoporosis. GPs considered the impact of investigating and prescribing treatment in the context of patients' whole lives. © 2012 International Osteoporosis Foundation and National Osteoporosis Foundation.
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页码：107 / 114
页数：7
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