Satisfaction des médecins généralistes intégrés dans une équipe mobile gériatrique : une étude qualitative

Geriatric ambulatory medical care is a key issue in the health service system. By 2060, we will see an 80% demographic increase of the over-sixties. In parallel, the pathologies related to age are set to increase. Nearly the third of current hospitalizations concern elderly people over 75 years. The referring physician is central to the medical care of the elderly, ensuring continuity of care in cities. The collaboration between general practitioners and these networks must be optimal to avoid hospitalizations among elderly people. The purpose of this study was to estimate the satisfaction of the referring physicians involved in a city-hospital geriatric network. An observational, retrospective study was performed among general practitioners in Versailles involved in the EPSILON network, during year 2013. The included patients were over 75 years old, and followed at home by the mobile team. Nine referring physicians answered our hetero-questionnaire, comprising closed and open questions, enabling a total sample of 15 followed patients to be covered. The level of satisfaction among the doctors was 8 out of 10. They underlined their satisfaction with obtaining expert opinions, and the possibility of hospital-standard medical care, and they considered that the implementation of complementary assistance was eased by the network. A total of 72% of the proposed medical prescriptions, 74% of the paramedical prescriptions and 100% of the social prescriptions were complied with. Nevertheless, time-lapses to instatement of social care were considered too long. The percentage of refusals of assistance by the patients was not negligible in our study. The general practitioners were satisfied with the role of the network in their daily activity. The delays in obtaining social care and the refusals of assistance by the patients or their families were their main difficulties.