[Patients' attitudes towards and satisfaction with interns in general practice. Practicing interns and patient...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the Danish vocational training scheme from a patient's point of view. This was especially interesting as all young doctors have six months vocational training in general practice after finishing university. During April 1993 junior doctors in twelve general practices in the county of Aarhus, Denmark, distributed a total of 574 questionnaires to consecutive patients after a consultation. The questionnaire was anonymously returned to the research unit. Four hundred and five patients answered the questionnaire. Ninety-three percent were fairly or very satisfied with the consultation, and 87% were sure or fairly sure that they would attend a trainee again. Eighty-five percent said that the trainee was as easy to communicate with as their own doctor. However, 36% said that attending a trainee was their only chance of seeing a doctor on the day preferred, and 47% did not feel fully informed about the trainee system. The data was analyzed with respect to sex, age, and disease related factors, and only minor differences were found. The survey shows that Danish patients were very positive about the GP trainee system, especially compared to previous investigations from other countries. However patients were not sufficiently informed about the aim and contents of the trainee system.