Table 1.
Personal details and profile of the 50 physicians involved in the study
| Physician characteristics | Physician (N=50) |
|---|---|
| Women, % (n) | 42 (21) |
| Men, % (n) | 58 (29) |
| Mean age | 50 (min: 34, max: 65) |
| Professional years | 17 (min: 1, max: 35) |
| Region of origin, % (n) | |
| Northern Italy | 40 (20) |
| Central Italy | 24 (12) |
| Southern Italy | 36 (18) |
| Work setting, % (n) | |
| Working in a hospital | 50 (25) |
| Working in a local public health care facility | 38 (19) |
| Working in a private clinic | 8 (4) |
| Working as private practitioner | 4 (2) |
| Specialization, % (n) | |
| Respiratory diseases | 76 (38) |
| Internal medicine | 12 (6) |
| Others | 12 (6) |
| Reason for choosing this specialization, % (n) | |
| Passion | 68 (34) |
| Direct experience | 14 (7) |
| Opportunity | 12 (6) |
| Random | 6 (3) |