[Utilization of general (monitoring) practices based on environmental medicine problems]

How often do general practitioners have to deal with environmental problems? To answer this question 23 GPs recorded all relevant consultations during one year in Hamburg. On an average, each of these GPs reported one contact once a month. The spectrum of both patient complaints and environmental sources was broad. The GP is less often convinced of a causal connection between both than the patient. In most cases a referral was not necessary. This study supports the assumption that the frequency of environmental problems in General Practice is--at least in the larger cities--lower than estimated from former studies and the self-image of general practice in Germany.