Direct mailing of consensus recommendations did not alter GPs' knowledge and prescription of oestrogen in the menopause

Abstract

Objective - To investigate the impact of an information-package (direct mailing) concerning oestrogen therapy, deriving from a consensus conference in 1990, on general practitioners' (GPs') attitudes and knowledge. Design and subjects - Controlled randomised study. Two groups of Norwegian GPs. The Intervention group received an information-package consisting of the recommendations from the consensus conference, some headline questions with answers, and a classification of the oestrogens available in Norway, including a table and a graphical presentation of the costs of the different treatments. GPs stated their views on prescribing oestrogen on a five step scale, related to nine short case histories, each containing cues on complaints, smoking, family history suggesting risk for cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. Main outcome measures - GPs' views on prescribing oestrogen, relation to age, sex, practice type (solo/group) and practice location. Results - The differences in answer distributions between the Intervention (n=193) and Control (n=181) groups did not reach statistical significance for any of the nine case histories. The answers indicate a more liberal attitude towards replacement therapy in 1992 compared to a study performed in 1990. The views on contraindications was fundamentally unaltered. Conclusion - The study did not reveal any significant effect of direct mailing as a means of disseminating consensus conference recommendations to GPs.