Access to electronic hepatitis C medical files by general practitioners

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection poses a public health challenge in France.
• Institutional networks aim to enhance healthcare and multidisciplinary chronic disease management.
• Electronic medical files are utilized by networks to optimize patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the interest of general practitioners (GPs) in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France regarding the use of electronic medical files for HCV patients.
• To determine the proportion of GPs managing HCV infections in this region.

Main Methods:

• A random sample of 20% of regional GPs was selected and stratified by administrative district.
• A telephone survey identified GPs interested in electronic hepatitis files and managing HCV patients.
• A detailed questionnaire was administered to interested physicians for further data collection.

Main Results:

• 37% of the surveyed general practitioners manage patients with HCV infection.
• Physicians' perceptions of electronic medical file advantages/disadvantages were linked to age, continuing education, and internet access.

Conclusions:

• A notable percentage of general practitioners expressed interest in utilizing electronic medical files for HCV patient management.
• The findings suggest forming a working group of GPs and specialists to develop a practical electronic medical file system for HCV care.