Settlement of the general practitioner professional address book

We conducted 24 semi-structured interviews with general practitioners (GPs) of Maine-et-Loire to understand the way they establish their medical, paramedical and social professional “address book”. It seems that confidence is a key point in creating this book. This trust is created by attending meetings and medical training. Evolution of medicine with demand of sophisticated techniques and advanced knowledge focus on technical competence required from the correspondent. This work reveals a generational attitude among doctors, the social origin of GPs also appears to influence especially on high fees for consultation at doctor’s office. Deontology and availability of the physician, the choice of the liberal environment and personality of the patient are other elements this study highlights. The place of the patient personality, even though doctors deny it, seems to hold an important place in addressing mode. Finally, the way the GP completed his “address book”appears different depending on whether the doctor is a man or a woman, the place of exercise and the organization of the GP office. Furthermore, the physicians surveyed would like to have additional elements to expand their “address book”: develop continuing medical education and a closer partnership with the hospital. All these observations could lead to further studies in order to identifythose elements. Prat Organ Soins. 2010;41(4):331-339