[The attitudes and behavior of the general primary-care physician towards the neurological patient].

OBJECTIVE

1. To find the opinion of general practitioners working in primary care (GP in PC) regarding how they deal with neurological patients. 2) To find the effect on this question of intern training in family and community medicine (FCM).

DESIGN AND SETTING

A survey filled out by a representative sample of GP in PC working at PC public clinics in 1991 in a health region in Catalonia.

PARTICIPANTS

56 GP in PC.

INTERVENTIONS

A self-administered selection questionnaire (multiple choice and scale of 5 points). MEASUREMENTS, MAIN RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Less confidence handling neurological patients than patients with other common medical conditions. Greater need for recycling in neurology than in other basic areas of medicine. Positive impact of FCM intern training on doctors' approach to the examination of neurological patients and application of basic exploratory techniques (ophthalmoscope, reflex hammer, diapason and phonendoscope). The GP intern-trained in FCM lacks confidence in present out-patient specialised support (the area neuropsychiatrist).