Knowledge, motivation, and attitudes of Hungarian family physicians toward pandemic influenza vaccination in the 2009/10 influenza season: questionnaire study

Aim To evaluate the knowledge, motivation, and attitudes of Hungarian family physicians toward pandemic influenza vaccination in the 2009/10 influenza season. Method A questionnaire with 20 questions was developed and sent to 232 family physicians in 3 largest Hungarian cities: Budapest, Debrecen, and Miskolc. The study was conducted in December 2009 and January 2010. Results A hundred and ninety eight (85%) physicians answered the questionnaire adequately. Respondents believed that the influenza outbreak represented less of a threat to their practices than to Hungary or the world as a whole. They mostly agreed that vaccination was important and were frequently dissatisfied with the support from health authorities. The proportion of vaccinated patients ranged between 2% and 53%, without differences according to geographical region, age, sex, and duration of physicians’ employment in family practice. Physicians who were satisfied with the payment for procedures and underwent vaccination themselves were more active in vaccination. Conclusion Health authorities should provide clear and evidence-based professional support to family physicians and should encourage them to get vaccinated against pandemic influenza, while insurance funds have to establish appropriate reimbursement system

Prevalence Rate of Diabetes Mellitus and Impaired Fasting Glycemia in Hungary: Crosssectional Study on Nationally Representative Sample of People Aged 20-69 Years

Aim To obtain correct evaluation of the prevalence rate of diabetes mellitus and impaired fasting glycemia (IFG) in Hungary. Method The study was performed on a nationally representative sample covered by the Hungarian General Practitioners’ Morbidity Sentinel Stations Program. The source population consisted of all persons aged 20-69 years who were registered with the participating centers. The prevalence rates were adjusted to age and sex distribution of the total Hungarian population. Fasting blood samples of 1803 participants were evaluated. Response rate was 90.7%. Results In addition to 130 (7.21%) patients with established diabetes, 26 participants with newly diagnosed diabetes were found, resulting in a total crude diabetes prevalence of 8.65% (men: 11.16%; women: 6.41%; P < 0.001). After weighting for age and sex, the prevalence rate of diabetes in participants aged 20-69 years should be set at 7.47% (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.26-8.69) (men: 9.49%; 95% CI, 7.52-11.46; women: 5.58%; 95% CI, 4.12-7.04). In addition to 41 (2.27%) patients with established IFG (fasting blood glucose: 6.1-6.9 mmol/L), 47 participants with newly diagnosed IFG were found, resulting in a total crude IFG prevalence of 4.88% (men: 6.11%; women: 3.78%; P = 0.022). After making corrections for weighting age and sex, the total IFG prevalence rate in participants aged 20-69 years should be set at 4.39% (95% CI, 3.44-5.34) (men: 5.52%; 95% CI, 3.99- 7.06; women: 3.33%; 95% CI, 2.19-4.47). Conclusion The prevalence rate of diabetes and IFG in Hungary is higher than previously estimated by experts and authorities. The present data may serve as a base for comparative investigations in the future

Knowledge, motivation, and attitudes of Hungarian family physicians toward pandemic influenza vaccination in the 2009/10 influenza season: questionnaire study

Aim To evaluate the knowledge, motivation, and attitudes of Hungarian family physicians toward pandemic influenza vaccination in the 2009/10 influenza season. Method A questionnaire with 20 questions was developed and sent to 232 family physicians in 3 largest Hungarian cities: Budapest, Debrecen, and Miskolc. The study was conducted in December 2009 and January 2010. Results A hundred and ninety eight (85%) physicians answered the questionnaire adequately. Respondents believed that the influenza outbreak represented less of a threat to their practices than to Hungary or the world as a whole. They mostly agreed that vaccination was important and were frequently dissatisfied with the support from health authorities. The proportion of vaccinated patients ranged between 2% and 53%, without differences according to geographical region, age, sex, and duration of physicians’ employment in family practice. Physicians who were satisfied with the payment for procedures and underwent vaccination themselves were more active in vaccination. Conclusion Health authorities should provide clear and evidence-based professional support to family physicians and should encourage them to get vaccinated against pandemic influenza, while insurance funds have to establish appropriate reimbursement system

Primary care obesity management in Hungary: evaluation of the knowledge, practice and attitudes of family physicians

BACKGROUND: Obesity, a threatening pandemic, has an important public health implication. Before proper medication is available, primary care providers will have a distinguished role in prevention and management. Their performance may be influenced by many factors but their personal motivation is still an under-researched area. METHOD: The knowledge, attitudes and practice were reviewed in this questionnaire study involving a representative sample of 10% of all Hungarian family physicians. In different settings, 521 practitioners (448 GPs and 73 residents/vocational trainees) were questioned using a validated questionnaire. RESULTS: The knowledge about multimorbidity, a main consequence of obesity, was balanced.Only 51% of the GPs were aware of the diagnostic threshold for obesity; awareness being higher in cities (60%) and the highest among residents (90%). They also considered obesity an illness rather than an aesthetic issue.There were wider differences regarding attitudes and practice, influenced by the the doctors' age, gender, known BMI, previous qualification, less by working location.GPs with qualification in family medicine alone considered obesity management as higher professional satisfaction, compared to physicians who had previously other board qualification (77%vs68%). They measured their patients' waist circumference and waist/hip ratio (72%vs62%) more frequently, provided the obese with dietary advice more often, while this service was less frequent among capital-based doctors who accepted the self-reported body weight dates by patients more frequently / commonly. Similar reduced activity and weight-measurement in outdoor clothing were more typical among older doctors.Diagnosis based on BMI alone was the highest in cities (85%). Consultations were significantly shorter in practices with a higher number of enrolled patients and were longer by female providers who consulted longer with patients about the suspected causes of developing obesity (65%vs44%) and offered dietary records for patients significantly more frequently (65%vs52%). Most of the younger doctors agreed that obesity management was a primary care issue.Doctors in the normal BMI range were unanimous that they should be a model for their patients (94%vs81%). CONCLUSION: More education of primary care physicians, available practical guidelines and higher community involvement are needed to improve the obesity management in Hungary

Knowledge, motivation, and attitudes of Hungarian family physicians toward pandemic influenza vaccination in the 2009/10 influenza season: questionnaire study

Aim To evaluate the knowledge, motivation, and attitudes of Hungarian family physicians toward pandemic influenza vaccination in the 2009/10 influenza season. Method A questionnaire with 20 questions was developed and sent to 232 family physicians in 3 largest Hungarian cities: Budapest, Debrecen, and Miskolc. The study was conducted in December 2009 and January 2010. Results A hundred and ninety eight (85%) physicians answered the questionnaire adequately. Respondents believed that the influenza outbreak represented less of a threat to their practices than to Hungary or the world as a whole. They mostly agreed that vaccination was important and were frequently dissatisfied with the support from health authorities. The proportion of vaccinated patients ranged between 2% and 53%, without differences according to geographical region, age, sex, and duration of physicians’ employment in family practice. Physicians who were satisfied with the payment for procedures and underwent vaccination themselves were more active in vaccination. Conclusion Health authorities should provide clear and evidence-based professional support to family physicians and should encourage them to get vaccinated against pandemic influenza, while insurance funds have to establish appropriate reimbursement system