The role of general practitioners in the management of erectile dysfunction—a qualitative study

Ng, Chirk Jenn; Low, Wah Yun; Tan, Ngiap Chuan; Choo, Wan Yuen

doi:10.1038/sj.ijir.3901141

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 11 publications

(11 reference statements)

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“…With regard to patient education, it is of concern that patients who had previously turned to their general practitioners were no better informed about RF for ED than the other patients. This highlights the need for improvement of education in the field of ED not only for patients, but also for general practitioners, as recently reported by several authors [23][24][25][26]. Moreover, Parish et al and Rosen et al recently proposed that sexual health education should receive far more attention already in the curriculum of medical school and the residency training [27,28].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Patients' Knowledge about Risk Factors for Erectile Dysfunction is Poor

Baumgärtner

Hermanns

Cohen

et al. 2008

The Journal of Sexual Medicine

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Introduction. Well informed and educated patients ideally manage to prevent or delay the onset of severe chronic diseases. With respect to erectile dysfunction (ED) this is of importance because ED is considered to herald debilitating cardiovascular diseases like coronary artery disease. Aim. This survey aimed to assess patient's knowledge about risk factors (RF) for ED and to identify their preferred source of information. Main Outcome Measures. Knowledge of RF for ED and sources used to gather information about ED as reported by patients with ED. Methods. Between July 2004 and June 2006, 126 patients who presented at our outpatient clinic for an assessment of their ED were prospectively evaluated. The patients received a questionnaire about their demographic and socioeconomic circumstances, their strategies to gather information about ED, and their knowledge of specific RF for this disease. The questionnaire was completed by 81 patients (64%). Results. Forty‐one patients (51%) could not name one single RF for ED. Three men knew more than three RF. The two most popular sources of information were the Internet and general practitioners. Well‐educated patients were significantly better informed than others. Patients using the Internet as source for health information were significantly younger and had a better knowledge about RF for ED compared to those not using the Internet. Conclusions. Patients' knowledge about RF for ED is poor. The Internet seems to be the most useful information source for patients with ED and is predominantly used by younger and better educated patients. Given that ED is considered to be a precursor lesion of severe cardiovascular diseases, patient information and education deserves more attention. Baumgartner MK, Hermanns T, Cohen A, Schmid DM, Seifert B, Sulser T, and Strebel RT. Patients' knowledge about risk factors for erectile dysfunction is poor. J Sex Med 2008;5:2399–2404.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Patients' Knowledge about Risk Factors for Erectile Dysfunction is Poor

Baumgärtner

Hermanns

Cohen

et al. 2008

The Journal of Sexual Medicine

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“…Treatment‐seeking behavior and influencers of treatment seeking were also a focus of this study. A majority or near majority of Asian men with self‐reported ED sampled have never sought treatment, despite the availability of safe and effective therapies [32,39]. Differences were observed between the study regions in the proportion of men seeking help from Western doctors and traditional medicine practitioners.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence and Correlates of Erectile Dysfunction (ED) and Treatment Seeking for ED in Asian Men: The Asian Men's Attitudes to Life Events and Sexuality (MALES) Study

Tan

Low

et al. 2007

The Journal of Sexual Medicine

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Introduction There have been limited multiregional studies in Asia examining the parameters of men's general and sexual health and quality of life in the general population vs. those in clinical cohorts of patients with erectile dysfunction (ED). Aims The aims of the Asian Men's Attitudes to Life Events and Sexuality (Asian MALES) study were to investigate the prevalence of ED, associated health conditions, and ED treatment-seeking patterns in the general male population in five regions of Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Taiwan). Main Outcome Measure Standardized questionnaire previously used in a similar multiregional study and modified to ensure culturally appropriate content for Asia. Methods Phase I of the study involved 10,934 adult men, aged 20–75 years, who were interviewed using the standardized questionnaire. Phase II of the study involved men with self-reported ED recruited from Phase I and via physician referral, invitations in general practitioner offices, and street interception (total Phase II sample, N=1,209). Results The overall prevalence of self-reported ED in the Phase I study population was 6.4%. ED prevalence varied by region and significantly increased with age (P <0.01). Men with ED reported significantly greater rates of comorbid illness (P <0.0001) and a reduced quality of life (P =0.0001), compared with men without ED. Phase II of the study revealed that fewer than half of men with self-reported ED had sought treatment for their problem. Men were more likely to seek help for erection difficulties from Western doctors than from traditional medicine practitioners (P =0.0001). A man's partner/spouse was the most common influencer of treatment seeking in all regions except Malaysia. Conclusion The findings confirm those of existing research on ED in both Asian and non-Asian males: ED is a prevalent condition; the prevalence of ED increases with age and is strongly associated with comorbid conditions; and the majority of men have never sought treatment for their condition. This study highlights a substantial need for the evaluation and treatment of ED in Asian men.

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“…The physician should be trained to approach sexual problems in a more gendersensitive manner. In particular, there is a need for doctors to initiate discussion on sexual issues as previous research had shown that patients tend to play a passive role and would prefer their doctors to initiate the discussion [28,29]. The doctor should also explore men's cultural background in order to effectively address their concerns and manage their ED holistically.…”

Section: Implications For Clinical Practicementioning

confidence: 99%