Doctors' health-seeking behaviour: a questionnaire survey

Area of Science:

• Medical sociology
• Physician behavior studies
• Healthcare access research

Background:

• Physicians often exhibit a culture of self-reliance, potentially impacting their own healthcare seeking behaviors.
• Understanding the acceptable limits of self-treatment among doctors is crucial for promoting appropriate medical care utilization.
• Barriers to physicians seeking healthcare can lead to delayed or inadequate treatment, affecting professional well-being and patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate Australian doctors' perceptions regarding the acceptability of self-treatment for various conditions.
• To identify specific barriers that prevent physicians from seeking appropriate medical care when needed.
• To explore differences in these perceptions based on demographic and professional factors.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional postal survey was conducted using hypothetical case vignettes.
• 896 Australian doctors, stratified by sex, discipline (GP/specialist), and location (urban/rural), were randomly selected.
• Self-reported attitudes on illness behavior and healthcare choices were collected between May and July 2001.

Main Results:

• 90% of doctors found self-treating acute conditions acceptable, compared to 25% for chronic conditions.
• A significant proportion of General Practitioners (GPs) and specialists believed doctors are reluctant to seek care, particularly for psychological issues.
• Women and GPs reported greater difficulty finding satisfactory medical care compared to men and specialists.

Conclusions:

• Physicians hold diverse views on the appropriateness of self-treatment for chronic conditions.
• Significant barriers exist that hinder doctors from accessing necessary medical care.
• Interventions are required to challenge the prevailing culture of self-reliance within the medical profession.