[Working out a questionnaire to study the relationship between doctors and the drug industry].

OBJECTIVE

To work out and validate a questionnaire that can be self-filled and has closed answers to describe: 1) the kind of relationship between family doctors and the pharmaceutical industry; 2) the attitude of family doctors towards this relationship, and 3) the conduct of family doctors when faced with concrete offers from the industry.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

PARTICIPANTS

Representative sample of family doctors working in primary care teams in Aragon, stratified by province, rural or urban setting and sex.

MAIN MEASUREMENTS

A questionnaire with closed answers that can be self-filled was worked out. It had 55 items on three scales. It was referred to a group of experts in methodology, administration, health law and Bioethics, for an appraisal of its contents, criteria and construction. It was then re-sent to three of them for appraisal of the stability of their scoring.

RESULTS

The questionnaire was valid in contents, criteria and construction. The results of the re-test sent to a part of the total sample gave information on replies' stability and served as a measurement of the reliability of the questionnaire.

CONCLUSIONS

The questionnaire worked out met established psychometric criteria. The analysis of its results after its distribution to a representative sample of Aragonese family doctors may contribute previously unknown information on their attitudes to the drug industry.