Table 1.

Factors mentioned by GPs in open and closed questions that would prompt them to send a stool sample for microbiological investigation (n = 471)

History, symptom, or sign	Open question (n = 471)	Closed question (n = 472)
	Free text answers, %	Tick box answers, %
Persistent diarrhoea	87	85
Recent foreign travel	81	87
Blood or pus in stools	68	82
Patient systemically unwell	43	63
Post antibiotics and hospitalisation	31	81
Occupation: food/care/home/school/farm	21	NA
Severity or pain	17	NA
Possible outbreak	14	NA
Contact with notifiable disease	7	NA
Acute painful, bloody diarrhoea in children	6	73
Farm visit	3	NA
Immunocompromised	5	NA
To reassure patient	2	31
Cause suggests infection	2	NA
Suspected food poisoning	27	74
To determine if specific treatment is needed	NA	54

NA = Not applicable as not mentioned by GPs in the open question or not listed in the closed question.