Table 2.
Medication beliefs and attitudinal medication profiles of rheumatologists and GPs regarding ULT
| Variable | Rheumatologists (n = 28) | GPs (n = 45) | Difference (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Necessity score, mean (s.d.) | 17.5 (2.4) | 16.1 (3.2) | 1.4 (0.0, 2.8) |
| Concern score, mean (s.d.) | 10.4 (2.0) | 12.1 (2.1) | −1.7 (−2.7, −0.7) |
| Overuse score, mean (s.d.) | 9.9 (2.1) | 11.3 (2.1) | −1.5 (−2.5, −0.5) |
| Harm score, mean (s.d.) | 7.1 (1.6) | 8.3 (1.4) | −1.2 (−1.9, −0.5) |
| Attitudinal profilesa,b, n (%) | |||
| Acceptant | 13 (46.4) | 7 (15.6) | |
| Ambivalent | 5 (17.9) | 9 (20.0) | |
| Sceptic | 6 (21.4) | 14 (31.1) | |
| Indifferent | 4 (14.3) | 15 (33.3) | |
| NCD score, mean (s.d.) | 7.1 (3.6) | 4.0 (4.0) | 3.1 (1.2, 5.0) |
Necessity score range: 5–25; concern score range: 5–25; overuse score range: 4–20; harm score range: 4–20.
a
Attitudinal profiles of physicians based on median cut-off scores: acceptant (necessity >17, concern ≤11), ambivalent (necessity >17, concern >11), sceptic (necessity ≤17, concern >11) and indifferent (necessity ≤17, concern ≤11).
b
P = 0.029.