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Table 2 Responses to PUBS item: comparison between family physicians and other specialists

From: Physicians’ beliefs and attitudes about Benzodiazepines: a cross-sectional study

Items

Family physicians (n = 184)

Other specialists (n = 145)

OR for agreement (95% CI) c)

n (%)

Agreement a

Disagreement b

Agreement a

Disagreement b

Doctors’ beliefs about BZD

 1. With BZD, the patient gets a high-quality sleep

44 (23.9%)

94 (51.1%)

55 (37.9%)

57 (39.3%)

1.94** (1.21–3.13)

 2. With BZD, the patient does not wake up so many times during night

115 (62.5%)

28 (15.2%)

93 (64.1%)

33 (22.8%)

1.07 (0.68–1.69)

 3. With BZD, the patient feels more rested when waking up in the morning

50 (27.2%)

73 (39.7%)

39 (26.9%)

54 (37.2%)

0.99 (0.60–1.61)

 4. With BZD, the patient feels less angry

99 (53.8%)

32 (17.4%)

96 (66.2%)

23 (15.9%)

1.68 * (1.07–2.64)

 5. Chronic use of BZD does not represent a health risk to the patient

7 (3.8%)

170 (92.4%)

11 (7.6%)

119 (82.1%)

2.08 (0.78–5.49)

 6. Chronic use of BZD contributes to the patients’ well-being

41 (22.3%)

81 (44%)

48 (33.1%)

48 (33.1%)

1.73* (1.06–2.82)

 7. Chronic use of BZD is essential to patients’ anxiety control

51 (27.7%)

85 (46.2%)

48 (33.1%)

67 (46.2%)

1.29 (0.80–2.07)

 8. Chronic use of BZD is a public health problem

157 (85.3%)

12 (6.5%)

113 (77.9%)

14 (9.7%)

1.62 (0.72–3.64)

 9. Chronic use of BZD enhances the risk of several falls

161 (87.5%)

6 (3.3%)

98 (67.6%)

20 (13.8%)

5.48** (2.13–14.10)

 10. Chronic use of BZD may impair cognitive performance

174 (94.6%)

4 (2.2%)

119 (82.1%)

13 (9%)

4.75** (1.51–14.92)

 11. Chronic use of BZD increases the risk of road traffic accidents

168 (91.3%)

5 (2.7%)

121 (83.4%)

9 (6.2%)

2.49* (0.82–7.64)

Doctors’ attitudes about BZD prescription

 13. BZD consumption in unnecessary in most cases

121 (65.8%)

24 (13%)

83 (57.2%)

25 (17.2%)

1.52 (0.81–2.84)

 14. It is important to inform the patient about the risk of tolerance associated with BZD

181 (98.4%)

1 (0.5%)

138 (95.2%)

1 (0.7%)

1.31 (0.08–21.16)

 15. It is important to inform the patient about the risk of addiction associated with BZD

183 (99.5%)

138 (95.2%)

4 (2.8%)

0.10 (0.01–0.89)

 16. Chronic use of BZD is justified if the patient feels better and without side effects

47 (25.5%)

94 (51.1%)

71 (49.0%)

44 (30.3%)

2.79** (1.76–4.45)

 17. I feel pressured by patients to prescribe BZD

125 (67.9%)

33 (17.9%)

44 (30.3%)

74 (51%)

6.37** (3.73–10.88)

 18. Patients feel like they are not taken seriously when I don’t prescribe BZD

49 (26.6%)

83 (45.1%)

20 (13.8%)

90 (62.1%)

2.66** (1.46–4.84)

 19. When I refuse to prescribe BZD, I’m challenging the patient-doctor relationship

37 (20.1%)

98 (53.3%)

7 (4.8%)

109 (75.2%)

5.88** (2.51–13.79)

 22. There is an acceptable level of anxiety and the doctor should help people to deal with it

173 (94.0%)

3 (1.6%)

140 (96.6%)

2 (1.4%)

0.82 (0.14–4.99)

 23. The easiest way to deal with a patients’ anxiety is to prescribe a BZD

44 (23.9%)

123 (66.8%)

28 (19.3%)

106 (73.1%)

0.76 (0.45–1.29)

 24. Prescribing BZD in clinical cases of anxiety is the most appropriate way to deal with those cases

14 (7.6%)

119 (64.7%)

16 (11.0%)

91 (62.8%)

1.51 (0.71–3.19)

 26. Non-pharmacological approaches for anxiety need to be complemented with medication

39 (21.2%)

63 (34.2%)

32 (22.1%)

52 (35.9%)

1.05 (0.62–1.79)

 27. Non-pharmacological approaches for sleep disorders need to be complemented with medication

39 (21.2%)

80 (43.5%)

39 (26.9%)

49 (33.8%)

1.37 (0.82–2.28)

 30. Non-pharmacological approaches are appropriate for most patients

94 (51.1%)

45 (24.5%)

59 (40.7%)

37 (25.5%)

1.31 (0.76–2.26)

Doctors’ self-perception of literacy about BZD

 12. I consider myself well informed about the benefits and risks of BZD

161 (87.5%)

5 (2.7%)

94 (64.8%)

21 (14.5%)

0.26** (0.15–0.46)

 21. I don’t feel capable of helping patients to stop/reduce the BZD consumption

19 (10.3%)

136 (73.9%)

21(14.5%)

90 (62.1%)

0.60 (0.31–1.18)

 25. My knowledge on non-pharmacological approaches is enough to help patient not to choose for BZD

68 (37.0%)

64 (34.8%)

46 (31.7%)

61 (42.1%)

0.79 (0.50–1.27)

Doctors’ self-efficacy perception for promoting withdrawal

 20. I have difficulties in motivating patients to stop BZDs’ consumption

114 (62.0%)

48 (26.1%)

66 (45.5%)

40 (27.6%)

1.44** (0.86–2.42)

 28. Psychological treatment of anxiety is of difficult access

147 (79.9%)

27 (14.7%)

104 (71.7%)

22 (15.2%)

0.64 (0.38–1.06)

 29. It is difficult to motivate patients to see a psychologist

119 (64.7%)

38 (20.7%)

81 (55.9%)

36 (24.8%)

0.69 (0.44–1.08)

  1. * Statistically significant (p-value < .05); ** Highly statistically significant (p-value < .01)
  2. a) Percentage of agreement (answers 4 and 5) b) Percentage of disagreement (answers 1 and 2). c) reference category: family physicians
  3. Neutral point (answer 3 - neither agree or disagree) is not included in the table but was considered for the OR estimation