Notification of infectious diseases by general practitioners in New South Wales. Survey before and after the introduction of the Public Health Act 1991 (NSW).

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate attitudes and knowledge about infectious disease notification and the self-reported notifying practices of general practitioners in New South Wales before and after the introduction of the Public Health Act 1991 (NSW). DESIGN: A survey of a random sample of general practitioners in NSW before and after the introduction of the Act. RESULTS: The percentage of doctors who considered notification to be very important increased (57% "before" v. 67% "after"; P = 0.02), as did the percentage who believed that notification usually leads to preventive action (41% v. 54%; P = 0.04). There was no increase in self-reported notification (50% v. 54% who reported notifying cases of notifiable diseases "always, or almost always"; P = 0.42). CONCLUSIONS: Notification of infectious disease by doctors remains suboptimal, but may improve over time as the impact of the new Act is felt. Feedback to doctors showing that preventive action is taken as a result of their notifications may be the most effective way to improve notification practices.