How physicians perceive and utilize information from a teratogen information service: The Motherisk Program

BMC Medical Education

Gideon Koren²  Andrew Park¹  Adrienne Einarson² 

[1] The University of Toronto Medical School, Toronto, Canada;The Motherisk Program, The Hospital for Sick Children Toronto, Canada

关键词: perception of risk;    sources of information;    physician;    teratogen information;   

Others  :  1177567
DOI  :  10.1186/1472-6920-4-6

 received in 2003-10-28, accepted in 2004-04-05,  发布年份 2004

【 摘 要 】

Background

Teratogen information services have been developed around the world to disseminate information regarding the safety of maternal exposures during pregnancy. The Motherisk Program in Toronto, Canada, fields thousands of these inquiries per year. Our primary objective was to evaluate the perception and utilization of information received from us by physicians. Our secondary objective was to examine their information seeking behavior, in particular regarding teratogen information.

Methods

A one page survey was sent to physicians who had called Motherisk for information concerning pregnancy exposures in the previous 30 days for three months. Among the questions that were asked were demographics, which included gender, years in practice, specialty, information resources, and how they utilized the information received from Motherisk.

Results

We received 118/200 completed questionnaires (59% response rate). The mean age of the respondents was: 42 ± 9 years, mean years of practice was: 14 ± 8 years, males: 46(38%) and females 72(62%) and 95(80%) were family physicians. 56(48%) researched their question prior to calling Motherisk, 106(91%) and passed on the information received to their patient verbatim. The top four resources for information were: 1) The CPS (PDR), 2) textbooks, 3) journals and 4) colleagues. Only 8% used the Medline for gathering information.

Conclusions

Physicians feel that a teratogen information service is an important component in the management of women exposed to drugs, chemicals, radiation and infections diseases etc. during pregnancy. Despite the advent of the electronic age, a minority of the physicians in our survey elected to use electronic means to seek information.

【 授权许可】

   
2004 Einarson et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article: verbatim copying and redistribution of this article are permitted in all media for any purpose, provided this notice is preserved along with the article's original URL.

【 参考文献 】

• [1]Leen-Mitchell M, Martinez L, Gallegos S, Robertson J, Carey JC: Mini-review: A history of organized teratology information services in North America. Teratology 2000, 61(4):314-7.
• [2]Chambers CD, Braddock SR, Briggs GG, Einarson A, Johnson YR, Miller RK, Polifka JE, Robinson LK, Stepanuk K, Lyons Jones K: Postmarketing surveillance for human teratogenicity: a model approach. Teratology 2001, 64(5):252-61.
• [3]Einarson A, Shuhaiber S, Koren G: Effects of antibacterials on the unborn child: what is known and how should this influence prescribing. Paediatr Drugs 2001, 3(11):803-16.
• [4]Jones KL, Johnson KA, Dick LM, Felix RJ, Kao KK, Chambers CD: Pregnancy outcomes after first trimester exposure to phentermine/fenfluramine. Teratology 2002, 65(3):125-30.
• [5]Loebstein R, Addis A, Ho E, Andreou R, Sage S, Donnenfeld AE, Schick B, Bonati M, Moretti M, Lalkin A, Pastuszak A, Koren G: Pregnancy outcomefollowing gestational exposure to fluoroquinolones: a multicenter, prospective controlled study. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1998, 42(6):1336-9.
• [6]Kulin NA, Pastuszak A, Sage SR, Schick-Boschetto B, Spivey G, Feldkamp M, Ormond K, Matsui D, Stein-Schechman AK, Cook L, Brochu J, Rieder M, Koren G: Pregnancy outcome following maternal use of the new selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: a prospective controlled multicenter study. JAMA 1998, 279(8):609-10.
• [7]Einarson A, Fatoye B, Sarkar M, Lavigne SV, Brochu J Chambers C, Mastroiacovo P, Mastroiacovo P, Addis A, Matsui D, Schuler L, Einarson TR, Koren G: Pregnancy outcome following gestational exposure to venlafaxine: a multicenter prospective controlled study. Am J Psychiatry 2001, 158(10):1728-30.
• [8]Bailey B, Addis A, Lee A, Sanghvi K, Mastroiacovo P, Mazzone T, Bonati M, Paolini C, Garbis H, Val T, De Souza CF, Matsui D, Schechtman AS, Conover B, Lau M, Koren G: Cisapride use during human pregnancy: a prospective, controlled multicenter study. Dig Dis Sci 1997, 42(9):1848-52.
• [9]Magee LA, Schick B, Donnenfeld AE, Sage SR, Conover B, Cook L, McElhatton PR, Schmidt MA, Koren G: The safety of calcium channel blockers in human pregnancy: a prospective, multicenter cohort study. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1996, 174(3):823-8.
• [10]Koren G, Pastuszak A, Ito S: Drugs in pregnancy. N Engl J Med 1998, 338(16):1128-37.
• [11]Shuhaiber S, Einarson A, Radde IC, Sarkar M, Koren G: A prospective-controlled study of pregnant veterinary staff exposed to inhaled anesthetics and x- rays. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2002, 15(4):363-73.
• [12]Pastuszak AL, Levy M, Schick B, Zuber C, Feldkamp M, Gladstone J, Bar-Levy F, Jackson E, Donnenfeld A, Meschino W, et al.: Outcome after maternal varicella infection in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. N Engl J Med 1994, 330(13):901-905.
• [13]Einarson A, Portnoi G, Koren G: Update on motherisk updates. Seven years of questions and answers. Can Fam Physician 2002, 48:1301-4.
• [14]Gorman P: Information needs in primary care: a survey of rural and non rural primary care physicians. Medinfo 2001, 10(Pt 1):338-42.
• [15]Grimshaw JM, Eccles MP, Walker AE, Thomas RE: Changing physicians'behavior: what works and thoughts on getting more things to work. J Contin Educ Health Prof 2002, 22(4):237-43.
• [16]Forsetlund L, Talseth KO, Bradley P, Nordheim L, Bjorndal A: Many aslip between cup and lip. Process evaluation of a program to promote and support evidence-based public health practice. Eval Rev 2003, 27(2):179-209.
• [17]Askew DA, Clavarino AM, Glasziou PP, Del Mar CB: General practice research: attitudes and involvement of Queensland general practitioners. Med J Aust 2002, 177(2):74-7.
• [18]Koller M, Grutter R, Peltenburg M, Fischer JE, Steurer J: Use of the Internet by medical doctors in Switzerland. Swiss Med Wkly 2001, 131(17–18):251-4.
• [19]Lockyer J, Jennett P, Parboosingh J, Maes W: Raising questions in clinical practice. J Contin Educ Health Prof 1988, 8(1):21-6.
• [20]Jasper JD, Miropolsky Vlad, Varma Bindiya, Einarson Adrienne: Determinants of physician prescribing and non-prescribing of antidepressant medication during pregnancy. (Abstract) OTIS meeting June 2002, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
• [21]Bonari L, Einarson A, Jasper JD, Einarson TR, Koren G: Determinants of women's decision making, regarding the use of antidepressants during pregnancy. (Abstract) The North American Society for Psychosocial Obstetrics and Gynecology. 31st Annual meeting, February 19th–22nd 2003, Lihue, Hawaii