Vol 38, (6) 448-452
Attitudes of WA GPs to chlamydia partner notification - A survey
Revle D Bangor-Jones MBBCh, DA, MRCGP, MPH, is Public Health Medical Registrar, Communicable Disease Control Directorate, Health Department of Western Australia.
Jenny McCloskey MBBS, DipVen, MPH, FAchSHM, is a sexual health physician and Head, Sexual Health Service, and Senior Lecturer, Discipline of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Western Australia.
Levinia Crooks AM Officer, Australasian Society for HIV Medicine Inc., Sydney, New South Wales.
Lisa A Bastian BASc(Nurs), MPH, is Manager, Sexual Health and Blood-borne Virus Program, Communicable Disease Control Directorate, Health Department of Western Australia.
Donna B Mak MBBS, MPH, FAPHM, FACRRM, is a public health physician, Communicable Disease Control Directorate, Health Department of Western Australia, and Head, Population & Preventive Health, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Western Australia.
Christine Dykstra MBChB, FAchSHM, is Senior Registrar, Sexual Health Service, Royal Perth Hospital, Western Australia.
Lewis J Marshall MBBS, MPH, FAFPHM, FAChSHM, is a sexual health physician, Fremantle Hospital, Associate Professor, Notre Dame University, and Clinical Senior Lecturer, University of Western Australia.
Simona R Achitei Doctorate in Philosophy, Macquarie University, and Senior Project Officer, Australasian Society for HIV Medicine Inc., Sydney, New South Wales.
BACKGROUND Partner notification is essential to interrupt transmission of sexually transmissible infections. We surveyed the attitudes to partner notification of general practitioners seeing 1–5 cases of chlamydia annually.
METHODS We collected data on chlamydia notifications received in Western Australia from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008. Treating GPs were identified and 200 were randomly selected.
RESULTS One hundred and five (53%) GPs responded. They believed automatic partner notification by the Department of Health occurred following notification (45%) or by ticking the box on the notification form (88%). Ninety-seven percent of GPs encouraged partner notification; 55% ensured it occurred. Printable resources were favoured by 90%, but use of web based resources was low. Practice nurses were seldom involved in partner notification.
DISCUSSION Although GPs believed that partner notification was important, follow up was infrequent. They believed (erroneously) that the Department of Health would routinely undertake partner notification. Printable resources for partner notification would be welcomed.
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