Primary care of patients with sexually transmitted diseases or genitourinary symptoms in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Med J. 2005 Aug;11(4):273-80.

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the adequacy of care received from general practitioners by patients with sexually transmitted diseases or genitourinary symptoms.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: Hong Kong.

Participants: Diagnoses and drug data obtained from logbooks submitted by doctors studying for the Diploma in Family Medicine and candidates for Fellowship examinations between 1999 and 2002.

Main outcome measures: Diagnosis or symptom of a sexually transmitted disease and prescribed treatment.

Results: Sexually transmitted diseases and genitourinary symptoms accounted for 1.1% of the workload of these community doctors in Hong Kong. The majority of patients were young adult males. The overall standard of treatment was inadequate: both multi-pharmacy and inappropriate treatment was common; in up to 30% of cases, doctors ignored local or international guidelines.

Conclusion: Primary care doctors play an important role in the diagnosis and management of sexually transmitted diseases or genitourinary symptoms in Hong Kong. A high index of suspicion should be maintained and continuing education made available if doctors are to provide an equally high standard of care.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Condylomata Acuminata / diagnosis
  • Condylomata Acuminata / therapy
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Female Urogenital Diseases / diagnosis
  • Female Urogenital Diseases / therapy
  • Gonorrhea / diagnosis
  • Gonorrhea / therapy
  • Hong Kong
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Male Urogenital Diseases
  • Middle Aged
  • Pelvic Inflammatory Disease / diagnosis
  • Pelvic Inflammatory Disease / therapy
  • Primary Health Care / standards*
  • Primary Health Care / statistics & numerical data
  • Prospective Studies
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases / therapy
  • Urethritis / diagnosis
  • Urethritis / therapy
  • Vaginitis / diagnosis
  • Vaginitis / therapy