Practice patterns in the diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction among family practice physicians (original) (raw)
Related papers
Management of Erectile Dysfunction in General Practice
Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2009
In recent years, the availability of effective oral pharmacological treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED) has revolutionized its management; however, it is still unclear how everyday clinical practice has changed in response to this evolving scenario. Aim. The aim of this study is to describe general practitioners' (GPs) beliefs and attitudes toward the management of ED. Methods. Each GP was asked to recruit consecutive men aged Ն18 years and sexually active, with already known erectile problems or with newly diagnosed ED.
Family Medicine and Community Health, 2017
Objectives: 1. To examine the characteristics of patients with erectile dysfunction in a family physician led erectile dysfunction clinic; 2. To review association of chronic disease spectrum and erectile dysfunction; 3. To review initial treatment pattern and outcome. Design: Retrospective case series review. Subjects: All consecutive patients seen in a regional hospital family physician led erectile dysfunction clinic from April 2014 to March 2015. Main outcome measures: 1. The severity of erectile dysfunction, based on International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5). 2. The associated chronic comorbidities of patients. 3. Treatment patterns and patient outcomes. Results: One hundred and eighty three patients presented with erectile dysfunction (ED) with mean age 58.7 (range 23 to 82) years old were seen during the study period. One hundred and twenty seven patients (69.4%) had comorbidity of chronic diseases, including 50.8% had hypertension, 38.8% had diabetes mellitus and 33.9% had hyperlipidaemia. Their mean body mass index was 25.2 kg/m 2 , the mean blood pressure was 137.3/79.5 mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa). According to IIEF-5 score, 50.3%, 30.6% and 18.6% had severe, moderate and mild erectile dysfunction respectively. The average duration of ED before seeking medical help was 3.9 years. Phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitors were prescribed to 119 patients (65%), and 57.1% of them achieved good response. Twenty nine patients (15.8%) were referred to other specialty for further management, including 27.6% had contraindication for PDE5 inhibitor. Conclusion: High proportion of erectile dysfunction patients had comorbitiy of chronic diseases. 57.1% of those patients receiving PDE5 inhibitors showed good response.
The role of general practitioners in the management of erectile dysfunction—a qualitative study
International Journal of Impotence Research, 2004
The objective of this study was to explore the roles and perceptions of general practitioners (GPs) in the management of erectile dysfunction (ED). This qualitative study used focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. This study was conducted based on 28 GPs from an urban area in Malaysia who had managed patients with ED and prescribed anti-ED drugs. Main outcome measures included the roles of GPs in managing patients with ED (active or passive), perceptions regarding ED and the treatment, and factors influencing their decision to prescribe. Majority of the GPs assumed a passive role when managing patients with ED. This was partly due to their perception of the disease being nonserious. Some also perceived ED as mainly psychological in nature. The anti-ED drugs were often viewed as a lifestyle drug with potentially serious side effects. The fear of being perceived by patients as 'pushing' for the drug and being blamed if the patients were to develop serious side effects also hampered the management of this disease. GPs who participated in this study remained passive in identifying and treating patients with ED and this was attributed to their perception of the disease, drug treatment and patient's background.
Integrating erectile dysfunction treatment into primary care practice
The American Journal of Medicine, 2000
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a highly prevalent medical disorder. Nearly 1 of 3 men in the United States between the ages of 18 and 59 years report dissatisfaction with some aspect of their sexual function. These problems contribute to anxiety, depression, loss of self-esteem, and diminished quality of life. The availability of sildenafil, the first safe and effective oral agent for ED, has greatly increased the number of men seeking treatment and shifted much of the management of ED to primary care physicians. As a result, primary care physicians now need to add questions about sexual functioning and satisfaction with sex to their initial patient workups. Patients with ED can be treated by the primary care physician or referred to mental health professionals, endocrinologists, urologists, or sex therapists, depending on the problem presented. First-line treatments that can be easily prescribed and recommended by primary care clinicians include sildenafil, counseling, lifestyle changes, medication changes, and vacuum-constriction devices. The responsibilities of treating patients with ED include educating the patient about sexually transmitted diseases, providing general sex education and counseling to the patient and his partner, and providing a treatment that is appropriate for the cause of the problem. The rewards of treatment will be a happier and more functional patient, an enhanced physician-patient relationship, and great professional satisfaction.
The prevalence of erectile dysfunction in men visiting outpatient clinics
International Journal of Impotence Research, 2006
The prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men visiting outpatient clinics was analyzed using data reported by 1352 randomly chosen physicians who were requested to interview five to 20 consecutive patients aged X40 years about the presence of ED. A total of 25.12% of the physicians returned the questionnaires, containing data on 3552 patients, of whom 42.7% had ED, 44.9% had no ED and 12.4% declined to answer the questions. The duration of ED was o1 year in 8.1% of patients, 1-2 years in 32.2% and 42 years in 59.7% of patients. 86.4% of men with ED had X1 chronic disease. ED was present in 70.3% of men with coronary heart disease, 67.8% of those with hypertension, 78% of those with diabetes and 70.5% of patients with psychiatric diseases. 93.2% of patients with ED used one or more drugs chronically. In conclusions, 42.7% of men visiting outpatient clinics had ED. Patients with ED often had one or more chronic diseases and used at least one drug chronically. Older patients are less inclined to talk to their physicians about sexual problems.
2012
Recent years have seen a rise in the medicalization of treatments for erectile dysfunction (ED). While there has been a divide between the medical and psychological communities, some have called for a more collaborative relationship. Little research has been done on the collaboration between medical professionals and psychotherapists in treating ED. This study seeks to increase current knowledge about medical professionals' referral practices and communication post-referral. An online survey was developed and distributed to the members of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA) (N = 541). Survey questions inquired as to the factors that increased participants' willingness to refer ED patients, the form of communication participants currently/desire to have with psychotherapists and the participants' desired level of communication with psychotherapists to whom they might refer. Less than ten percent of the medical professionals invited to participate in the study completed the survey (n=50). Those who did complete the survey were primarily male, specialized in urology and practiced in the U.S. Almost half the respondents were employed in an academic setting while just over half of respondents worked in hospital-based, group, or solo practices. Just over half of the survey participants practiced in urban areas. Although the number of medical professionals who completed the survey was small, findings indicated that those who completed a sexual medicine fellowship and who had a larger percentage of their patient population being seen for ED were more likely to refer patients to psychotherapists. Participants who have referred ED patients to psychotherapists reported little-to-no communication between them and the psychotherapists to whom they refer. The study participants expressed a desire to refer patients to psychotherapists who are experienced in working with both sexual and couples issues. Questions about the desires and experiences of medical professionals who have not referred to psychotherapists were not able to be answered because of the limited number of these individuals in the data set. Although the number of participants who completed the survey limits the generalizability of the data, this study demonstrates that most medical professionals who responded to the survey are willing to refer ED patients to psychotherapists.
Prevalence of Erectile Dysfunction in Urology Consultation: A Prospective Study
International Journal of Advanced Research, 2021
Introduction:Erectile dysfunction is defined by the inability to obtain or maintain an erection sufficient to allow a satisfactory sexual relationship, according to the 2nd International Conference on Sexual Dysfunctions of 2004. This constitutes an attack on virility, and is a source of significant psychological suffering for the individual as well as for his partner. Erectile dysfunction is also a multifactorial disease, related to the overall physical and psychological health of the patient. Materials And Methods: The survey was conducted during three months in the military hospital of Avicenne in Marrakesh. It involved all patients consulting in Urology aged over 18 years regardless of the reason of consultation. Data was collected through a questionnaire by direct interview. The evaluation of ED was based on the definition of the 2nd International Conference of Sexual Dysfunction of 2004. Results: The analysis included 482 patients. The average age of patients was 51 ± 11 year...
Physicians' knowledge, attitude and practice towards erectile dysfunction in Saudi Arabia
Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de santé de la Méditerranée orientale = al-Majallah al-ṣiḥḥīyah li-sharq al-mutawassiṭ
We aimed to test the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of physicians towards erectile dysfunction in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. At a scientific meeting about erectile dysfunction, 159 physicians from both government and private sectors answered a 34-item questionnaire in private. The mean total KAP score for the group was below the expected standard of 60%. Male physicians scored significantly higher than females. Urologists scored the highest, followed by andrologists. Surprisingly, physicians with higher qualifications scored lower than those with intermediate qualifications and even less than general practitioners. Those who had practised for > or = 10 years scored better than those with < 10 years practice. The role of cardiologists in the diagnosis and management of erectile dysfunction is discussed.
Characteristics and expectations of patients with erectile dysfunction: results of the SCORED study
International Journal of Impotence Research, 2008
In an observational study in men with erectile dysfunction (ED) consulting a general practitioner (GP) or urologist in Belgium, demographics, ED characteristics (including erection hardness score), co-morbidities and treatment expectations were evaluated using a structured questionnaire. In total, 341 GPs and 41 urologists recruited 1492 patients. Most (74%) were untreated and 25% had ED for 43 years. Considering PDE5 inhibitors, erection hardness (89%) and maintenance (92%) were considered 'very important' by most patients. Only 18% of physicians initiated discussion about ED, despite 41% of patients having X3 known risk factors. The questionnaire was considered helpful by 81% of GPs and 83% of their patients. Overall, patients are under-diagnosed, and physicians are reluctant to ask about ED. A questionnaire including erection hardness score is useful to facilitate discussion about ED in general practice. Erection hardness and maintenance are more important to patients as compared to fast onset or long duration of action.
Characteristics of Erectile Dysfunction as a Function of Medical Care System Entry Point
The scientific literature on the treatment of penile erectile dysfunction contains numerous contradictory reports on the relative frequency of organic causes of impotence and the treatment results of behavioral sex therapy. One explanation for these contradictory findings is the hypothesis that different investigators are studying different subsamples of the symptomatic population. This study investigated differences in characteristics of men who initially consulted a urologist with a complaint of impotence versus those who self-referred themselves to a sexual dysfunction clinic. Self-referred sexual dysfunction patients were more often white, more often had psychogenic etiologies to their difficulties, were more often of higher socioeconomic class, and had a much better response to psychological interventions. This study suggests that future studies concerning the etiology and treatment of impotence need to specify population characteristics such as referral source and screening criteria. It may be necessary to develop alternative treatment techniques for men who present to nonpsychiatric sources for help with psychogenic impotence.