Family physicians' perception of plastic surgery and its influence on referral. A survey from Poland

Inadequate family physicians' knowledge of plastic surgery might be a barrier for patients to benefit from plastic surgery treatments reimbursed by the Polish National Health Service (NHS).

The aim of this study was to assess family physicians' awareness of the indications for plastic surgery, and their knowledge of conditions that are treated without extra costs for the patient in plastic surgery outpatient clinics (OCs).

An e-mail survey was carried out in a group of 100 out of 378 randomly selected primary care doctors currently practicing in Lodz, central Poland. Respondents were asked to fill in a questionnaire, which contained questions about conditions with reimbursed treatments in plastic surgery OCs. We also provided them with a list of diseases and asked them to which OC they would refer a patient in such case.

58 primary care physicians responded: 30 specialists in family medicine and 28 residents in the final year of their specialization in family medicine. Respondents had good knowledge of the range of conditions managed in plastic surgery OCs. They were also aware of most of the medical procedures not being reimbursed by the Polish NHS. However, some indications for plastic surgery as well as the free availability of relevant medical procedures were known by less than half of the respondents (e.g. lipoma 47%, gynaecomastia 28%, and xanthelasma palpebrarum 16%).

To improve collaboration between plastic surgeons and family physicians basic information regarding plastic surgery might be included in residency programmes in family medicine.