Objectives: To determine the clinical attitudes and behaviour of family doctors in Hong Kong towards patient self-management of upper respiratory tract infections, and factors which may influence this practice.
Design: Questionnaire survey conducted between February 1999 and April 1999.
Setting: Hong Kong College of Family Physicians.
Participants: Members of the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians.
Results: A total of 730 family doctors completed a postal questionnaire on self-management of upper respiratory tract infection, giving an overall response rate of 71.9%. The majority (95.2%) of respondents agreed that patients should be advised on self-management. More than two thirds (69.7%) of respondents also considered patients should be advised on self-medications for upper respiratory tract infection. Nearly two thirds and one third of respondents stated they would advise more than 60% of patients on self-management and self-medication, respectively. A close association was noted between the doctor's view on the usefulness of antibiotics for upper respiratory tract infection and patient advice regarding self-management and self-medication strategies.
Conclusion: Doctors with certain characteristics are more likely to advise patients with upper respiratory tract infection on self-management and self-medication for upper respiratory tract infection.