Preventive practices among physicians remain insufficiently studied, particularly in situations for which recommendations are limited or unavailable. The PREVMED study aims to describe physicians' preventive practices and to investigate the sociodemographic, occupational, and lifestyle factors that may influence these practices.
PREVMED is an observational cross-sectional questionnaire survey conducted among physicians and medical residents using an anonymous self-administered online questionnaire hosted on REDCap®. The primary objective is to describe physicians' preventive practices. The secondary objective is to investigate the influence of sociodemographic, occupational, and lifestyle factors on these practices. The questionnaire assesses preventive practices toward patients, including assessment, oral advice, written advice or treatment, and referral to dedicated consultations regarding physical activity, diet, tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, and sun exposure. It also investigates practices related to screening and prevention for several cancers, including lung, breast, cervical, prostate, and skin cancer. Sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, and occupational characteristics of participating physicians are also collected. The questionnaire is distributed to physicians and medical residents through an internet link using various channels, including social networks, mailing lists, and flyers. Data are collected anonymously.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
500
Anonymous self-administered online questionnaire assessing physicians' preventive practices toward their patients, as well as sociodemographic, occupational, and lifestyle factors that may influence these practices.
Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital
Clermont-Ferrand, France
RECRUITINGAssessment of patients' preventive health behaviors
Frequency of assessment of patients regarding physical activity, diet, tobacco consumption, alcohol consumption, cannabis consumption, and sun exposure. Each item is assessed using a visual analog scale ranging from 0 (never) to 100 (always), with higher scores indicating more frequent assessment.
Time frame: Baseline
Oral preventive advice provided to patients
Frequency of oral advice provided to patients regarding physical activity, diet, tobacco consumption, alcohol consumption, cannabis consumption, and sun exposure. Each item is assessed using a visual analog scale ranging from 0 (never) to 100 (always), with higher scores indicating more frequent provision of oral advice.
Time frame: Baseline
Written preventive advice or treatment prescribed to patients
Frequency of written advice or treatment prescribed to patients regarding physical activity, diet, tobacco consumption, alcohol consumption, cannabis consumption, and sun exposure. Each item is assessed using a visual analog scale ranging from 0 (never) to 100 (always), with higher scores indicating more frequent prescription of written advice or treatment.
Time frame: Baseline
Referral to dedicated preventive consultations
Frequency of referral of patients to dedicated consultations for physical activity, diet, tobacco consumption, alcohol consumption, cannabis consumption, and sun exposure. Each item is assessed using a visual analog scale ranging from 0 (never) to 100 (always), with higher scores indicating more frequent referral.
Time frame: Baseline
Verification of recommended screening and medical examinations
Frequency with which physicians ensure that patients undergo mammography for organized breast cancer screening, cervical screening, fecal occult blood testing for organized colorectal cancer screening, and regular blood tests. Each item is assessed using a visual analog scale ranging from 0 (never) to 100 (always), with higher scores indicating more frequent verification.
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Time frame: Baseline
Lung cancer screening practice
Frequency of proposing lung cancer screening to asymptomatic patients at risk, assessed using a visual analog scale ranging from 0 (never) to 100 (always), with higher scores indicating more frequent proposal of lung cancer screening.
Time frame: Baseline
Breast palpation practice
Frequency of proposing breast palpation to patients, assessed using a visual analog scale ranging from 0 (never) to 100 (always), with higher scores indicating more frequent proposal of breast palpation.
Time frame: Baseline
Cervical screening practice
Frequency of proposing cervical screening, assessed using a visual analog scale ranging from 0 (never) to 100 (always), with higher scores indicating more frequent proposal of cervical screening.
Time frame: Baseline
Prostate cancer screening practice
Frequency of proposing prostate cancer screening, assessed using a visual analog scale ranging from 0 (never) to 100 (always), with higher scores indicating more frequent proposal of prostate cancer screening.
Time frame: Baseline
Recommendation of skin self-examination
Frequency of advising patients to perform skin self-examination, assessed using a visual analog scale ranging from 0 (never) to 100 (always), with higher scores indicating more frequent recommendation of skin self-examination.
Time frame: Baseline
Visual skin examination
Frequency of performing visual skin examination, assessed using a visual analog scale ranging from 0 (never) to 100 (always), with higher scores indicating more frequent visual skin examination.
Time frame: Baseline
Frequency of screening blood tests
Frequency of prescription of screening blood tests, categorized as occasionally without a defined frequency, once a year, once every 2 years, every 3 to 5 years, more than 5 years apart, or more than 10 years apart.
Time frame: Baseline
Tobacco cessation treatments prescribed
Types of treatment prescribed for smoking cessation, including varenicline, nicotine patches, nicotine gum, bupropion, cytisine, and electronic cigarettes. Multiple responses are permitted.
Time frame: Baseline
Screening blood tests prescribed
Types of screening blood tests prescribed, including complete blood count, lipid profile, blood glucose, renal function, viral serology, inflammatory markers, and other tests. Multiple responses are permitted.
Time frame: Baseline
Frequency of screening blood tests
Frequency of prescription of screening blood tests, categorized as occasionally without a defined frequency, once a year, once every 2 years, every 3 to 5 years, more than 5 years apart, or more than 10 years apart.
Time frame: Baseline
Criteria used for lung cancer screening
Criteria used to propose lung cancer screening, including smoking, occupational exposure, non-occupational exposure, family history of lung cancer, and other criteria. Multiple responses are permitted.
Time frame: Baseline
Lung cancer screening method
Methods used for lung cancer screening, including chest radiography, chest computed tomography, pulmonary function testing, and other methods. Multiple responses are permitted.
Time frame: Baseline
Frequency of lung cancer screening
Reported frequency of lung cancer screening according to the predefined categories of the questionnaire.
Time frame: Baseline
Factors limiting lung cancer screening
Factors limiting prescription of lung cancer screening, including lack of recommendations, insufficient scientific evidence, insufficient knowledge of the topic, limited access to imaging, lack of patient adherence, and follow-up already provided by another physician. Each factor is assessed using a visual analog scale ranging from 0 (minimum) to 100 (maximum), with higher scores indicating a greater perceived limitation.
Time frame: Baseline
Criteria used for breast palpation
Criteria used to propose breast palpation, including systematic examination, age, clinical symptoms, family history of breast cancer, prolonged hormonal exposure, and other risk factors. Multiple responses are permitted.
Time frame: Baseline
Factors limiting breast palpation
Factors limiting breast palpation, including lack of time, lack of training, fear of being accused of inappropriate touching, lack of recommendations, insufficient scientific evidence, lack of patient adherence, follow-up already provided by another physician, and teaching patients breast self-examination. Each factor is assessed using a visual analog scale ranging from 0 (minimum) to 100 (maximum), with higher scores indicating a greater perceived limitation.
Time frame: Baseline
Factors limiting cervical screening
Factors limiting cervical screening, including lack of time, lack of training, fear of being accused of inappropriate touching, and follow-up already provided by another physician. Each factor is assessed using a visual analog scale ranging from 0 (minimum) to 100 (maximum), with higher scores indicating a greater perceived limitation.
Time frame: Baseline
Criteria used for prostate cancer screening
Criteria used to propose prostate cancer screening, including systematic screening, age, clinical symptoms, family history of prostate cancer, ethnicity, and other risk factors. Multiple responses are permitted.
Time frame: Baseline
Prostate cancer screening method
Method used for prostate cancer screening, categorized as digital rectal examination alone, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing alone, or digital rectal examination combined with PSA testing.
Time frame: Baseline
Factors limiting prostate cancer screening
Factors limiting prostate cancer screening, including lack of time, lack of training, fear of being accused of inappropriate touching, lack of recommendations, insufficient scientific evidence, lack of patient adherence, and follow-up already provided by another physician. Each factor is assessed using a visual analog scale ranging from 0 (minimum) to 100 (maximum), with higher scores indicating a greater perceived limitation.
Time frame: Baseline
Criteria used for visual skin examination
Criteria used to perform visual skin examination, including systematic examination, light skin phototype, age, clinical symptoms, family history of skin cancer, frequent or excessive sun exposure, numerous nevi, and other risk factors. Multiple responses are permitted.
Time frame: Baseline
Factors limiting skin cancer screening
Factors limiting skin cancer screening, including lack of time, lack of training, absence of a dermatoscope, fear of being accused of inappropriate examination, lack of recommendations, insufficient scientific evidence, lack of patient adherence, follow-up already provided by another physician, and teaching patients skin self-examination. Each factor is assessed using a visual analog scale ranging from 0 (minimum) to 100 (maximum), with higher scores indicating a greater perceived limitation.
Time frame: Baseline
Professional status
Professional status of the participant, categorized as physician or medical resident.
Time frame: Baseline
Medical specialty
Medical specialty of the participant, categorized as general practice, medical specialty, surgery, or psychiatry. Medical and surgical specialties are further specified according to the predefined categories of the questionnaire.
Time frame: Baseline
Practice area
Geographical practice area, categorized as rural, urban, or semi-urban.
Time frame: Baseline
Practice setting
Practice setting of the participant, including private practice, hospital practice, salaried practice, no current practice, retired, or other. Multiple responses are permitted.
Time frame: baseline
Working environment
Working environment, including working alone, group practice, multidisciplinary health center, Maison Sport Santé, with secretarial support, or without secretarial support. Multiple responses are permitted.
Time frame: Baseline
Supervision of students
Supervision of students, categorized as yes or no.
Time frame: Baseline
Number of patients per week
Total number of patients seen per week, categorized as 0, 1-20, 20-50, 50-100, 100-150, or more than 150 patients per week.
Time frame: Baseline
Weekly working time
Total working time per week, categorized as 0, 1-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40, 40-50, or more than 50 hours per week.
Time frame: Baseline
On-call duties
On-call duties assessed separately for private practice and hospital practice, with each categorized as yes or no.
Time frame: Baseline
Tobacco consumption
Daily tobacco consumption, categorized as 0, 1-4, 5-9, 10-14, 15-19, or more than 20 cigarettes per day.
Time frame: Baseline
Alcohol consumption
Weekly alcohol consumption, categorized as 0, 1-4, 5-9, 10-14, 15-19, or more than 20 alcoholic drinks per week.
Time frame: Baseline
Cannabis consumption
Weekly cannabis consumption, categorized as 0, 1-4, 5-9, 10-14, 15-19, or more than 20 joints per week.
Time frame: Baseline
Daily sitting time
Total time spent sitting per day, expressed in hours per day and recorded from 0 to 24 hours in 30-minute increments.
Time frame: Baseline
Leisure-time physical activity
Time spent in leisure-time physical activity, expressed in hours per week and recorded from 0 to 24 hours in 30-minute increments.
Time frame: Baseline
Body mass index
Body mass index calculated automatically from self-reported height in centimeters and weight in kilograms, expressed in kg/m².
Time frame: Baseline
Age
Age of the participant, expressed in years.
Time frame: Baseline
Gender
Gender of the participant, categorized as male or female.
Time frame: Baseline
Family status
Family status of the participant, categorized as single or in a couple.
Time frame: Baseline
Number of children
Total number of children reported by the participant.
Time frame: Baseline