Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden RC, The Netherlands.
Department of Urology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden RC, The Netherlands.
Fam Pract. 2020 Nov 28;37(6):766-771. doi: 10.1093/fampra/cmaa071.
Assessment of sexual health is important in chronically ill patients, as many experience sexual dysfunction (SD). The general practice nurse (GPN) can play a crucial part in addressing SD.
The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine to which extent GPNs discuss SD with chronically ill patients and what barriers may refrained them from discussing SD. Furthermore, we examined which factors had an association with a higher frequency of discussing SD.
A cross-sectional survey using a 48-item questionnaire was send to 637 GPNs across the Netherlands.
In total, 407 GPNs returned the questionnaire (response rate 63.9%) of which 337 completed the survey. Two hundred and twenty-one responding GPNs (65.6%) found it important to discuss SD. More than half of the GPNS (n = 179, 53.3%) never discussed SD during a first consultation, 60 GPNs (18%) never discussed SD during follow-up consultations. The three most important barriers for discussing SD were insufficient training (54.7%), 'reasons related to language and ethnicity' (47.5%) and 'reasons related to culture and religion' (45.8%). More than half of the GPNs thought that they had not enough knowledge to discuss SD (n = 176, 54.8%). A protocol on addressing SD would significantly increase discussing during SD.
This study indicates that GPNs do not discuss SD with chronically ill patients routinely. Insufficient knowledge, training and reasons related to cultural diversity were identified as most important reasons for this practice pattern. Implementation of training in combination with guidelines on SD in the general practice could improve on the discussing of sexual health with chronic patients.
评估慢性疾病患者的性健康非常重要，因为许多患者会经历性功能障碍（SD）。全科护士（GPN）在解决 SD 方面可以发挥关键作用。
本横断面研究旨在调查全科护士与慢性疾病患者讨论 SD 的程度，以及哪些障碍可能阻碍他们讨论 SD。此外，我们还研究了哪些因素与更频繁地讨论 SD 有关。
使用包含 48 个项目的问卷对荷兰各地的 637 名全科护士进行了横断面调查。
共有 407 名全科护士（应答率为 63.9%）返回了问卷，其中 337 名完成了调查。221 名回应的全科护士（65.6%）认为讨论 SD 很重要。超过一半的全科护士（n=179，53.3%）从未在首次就诊时讨论过 SD，60 名全科护士（18%）从未在随访就诊时讨论过 SD。讨论 SD 的三个最重要的障碍是培训不足（54.7%）、“与语言和种族有关的原因”（47.5%）和“与文化和宗教有关的原因”（45.8%）。超过一半的全科护士认为他们没有足够的知识来讨论 SD（n=176，54.8%）。关于处理 SD 的方案将显著增加对 SD 的讨论。
本研究表明，全科护士通常不会与慢性疾病患者常规讨论 SD。知识不足、培训不足以及与文化多样性有关的原因被认为是这种实践模式的最重要原因。在全科实践中实施培训并结合 SD 指南，可以改善与慢性患者讨论性健康的问题。
