Erectile dysfunction--the effect of sending a questionnaire to patients on consultations with their family doctor

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common problem among male adults that generally has been ignored by family practitioners.

Our aim was to assess the effect of a mailed questionnaire about ED on the readiness of patients to raise the subject with their family doctor.

The study population included all men aged 40 years and over on the patient list of a family practitioner. A control group made up of males of similar ages was chosen in another family practice. The patient files were reviewed for ED. Anonymous questionnaires including questions about sexual dysfunction and satisfaction with sex life, as well as demographic and medical details, were sent to the study population. Patients who suffered from ED were invited to visit their family doctor. In the following 2 months, the study and control group populations' visits to the family practitioner were monitored for complaints of sexual dysfunction.

In the 2 years prior to the study, 14/205 (6.8%) of the study population had complained to their family practitioner of ED in comparison with 6/205 (2.9%) in the control group (P = NS). In the 2 months following the sending of the questionnaire, 23 patients consulted their family practitioner with ED, 19 of whom had not discussed their problem with the family practitioner previously; only a further two patients went to discuss ED in the same period in the control group (P < 0.001). A total of 85/205 (41.5%) patients returned the questionnaire and 35/85 (42.5%) said they suffered from ED. Of 35 patients who reported ED, 15 had been for a consultation; only six of them consulted their family doctor.

ED is reported infrequently to family doctors. Sending an anonymous questionnaire on the subject increases awareness of the problem and in turn increases the number of cases that can be treated.