Physicians treating their own children
L. B. Dusdieker, J. R. Murph, W. E. Murph and C. I. Dungy
Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City.
OBJECTIVES--To determine the types of health care interventions physicians
provided to their own children, identify those conditions most often
treated by physician-parents, compare the differences in treatment
practices among physician groups, and explore the reasons physicians give
for treating their own children. DESIGN--Questionnaire.
SETTING--University-affiliated teaching hospital in Iowa City, Iowa.
PARTICIPANTS--Three hundred fifty-three physicians in residency and
fellowship training and faculty who were parents of children aged 18 years
or younger. INTERVENTIONS--None. MEASUREMENTS/MAIN RESULTS--The majority of
physicians reported treating their afebrile child for acute illness.
Fifty-five percent of physicians reported that they rarely or never treated
their febrile child (temperature > 38.3 degrees C) without consultation
with the child's physician. Only 47% of physicians reported that they
always performed a physical examination on their child before treating.
Physician-parents were more likely to auscultate the child's chest or
perform otoscopy and less likely to obtain urine samples or throat swabs
for culture before treating. Sixty-two percent of physicians reported that
they have never performed routine health maintenance examinations on their
own children, but 29% referred their children to a specialist. Medications
were prescribed for their children by 65% of physicians. Neither gender nor
level of training influenced the treatment practices of physician-parents.
Primary care physicians were less likely to contact the child's physician
for advice in treating their febrile child than were subspecialists.
Pediatricians more often treated their afebrile and febrile children,
performed physical examinations and laboratory studies, and prescribed
medications than did other primary care physicians. Convenience was the
most important reason physicians gave for treating their own children.
CONCLUSIONS--Physicians frequently treat their own ill children, prescribe
medications for them, and self-refer them to specialists largely for the
sake of convenience.
