Abstract
Purpose
Prevention, rehabilitation and reintegration into the workplace are examples of overlapping work fields of general practitioners (GPs) and occupational health physicians (OPs). In Germany, however, cooperation between GPs and OPs is often lacking or suboptimal. In this article, we present GPs’ and OPs’ views on a variety of aspects of their cooperation and differences between them.
Methods
Survey questionnaire was developed on the basis of literature research and results of focus group interviews. Cross-sectional postal survey among GPs (n = 1000) and OPs (n = 383) was performed in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Explorative descriptive and logistic regression analyses were carried out (controlling for potential confounders).
Results
Response rates were 31 and 48 %, respectively. Mutual telephone calls were the most frequent contact medium (49 and 91 %, respectively). Both groups considered themselves to have clearly separate areas of responsibility (median = 4, rating scale from 1 “agree not at all” to 5 “agree definitely”). Necessity to cooperate and need to improve cooperation were both rated as 4 (by GPs) and 5 (by OPs), respectively (p < 0.001, Wilcoxon test). Several variables were found to be different by logistic regression analysis of answers from the two groups (e.g. in regard to importance of rehabilitation, primary prevention services, caring for chronically ill workers or changing of workplace conditions). Sensitive topics (e.g. concerning mutual rivalry, remuneration or adherence to medical confidentiality) were also found to be rated differently.
Conclusion
The data show potential interest of both physicians groups to develop cooperation. As the ratings often differed significantly, particularly in regard to statements presented, answers influenced by social desirability are generally unlikely.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank all the participants. The work of the Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine and Health Services Research Tübingen is supported by an unrestricted grant from the employers’ association of the metal and electric industry in Baden-Württemberg (Südwestmetall). The present work was financed within this grant and by the resources of the Institute of General Practice, University Hospital Tübingen, and of the Competence Centre of Occupational and Social Preventive Medicine and Women’s Health Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The authors thank Paul Kahle (USA) for the language check of the manuscript and Professor Rainer Muche, statistician and director of the Division Biometry of the Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry of the University of Ulm, Germany, for counselling us.
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Moßhammer, D., Michaelis, M., Mehne, J. et al. General practitioners’ and occupational health physicians’ views on their cooperation: a cross-sectional postal survey. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 89, 449–459 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-015-1084-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-015-1084-4