[Local consultations by specialists in urology: an answer to patients' expectations and dwindling physician numbers?]

To analyze patients' views with regards to local consultations given by specialists in urology and to an offer of pre- and postoperative visits in the local general hospital with surgical interventions taking place at the university hospital.

An opinion survey by mail questionnaire was carried out in all 473 patients who had had a consultation with a specialist in two local general hospitals between November 2009 and April 2010.

Response rate was 74%. Mean patient age was 65.5 ± 12 years [range, 20-90]. The reason for the consultation was cancer-related in 31.2% of patients. The majority (89%) made the journey to hospital under their own steam and would have had to travel a 4 times greater distance if the consultation with the specialist had taken place at the university hospital. Overall, 54.6% of patients were willing to travel 20 km further to see a specialist and 76.5% were willing to travel 20 km further for a surgical intervention. Virtually all of the patients (>99%) saw benefits to local consultations given by specialists. The offer of a consultation at the general hospital and intervention at the university hospital met with the approval of 60.8% patients and 56.3% had already experimented this offer.

Local consultations by specialists might be an answer to demographic issues in France, that is, to the small number of urologists practicing in general hospitals.