Skip to main content

Identifying physicians likely to benefit from depression education: a challenge for health care organizations.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Gerrity, MS; Williams, JW; Dietrich, AJ; Olson, AL
Published in: Med Care
August 2001

BACKGROUND: Few methods exist to identify physicians who might benefit from depression education. OBJECTIVES: To develop a measure of physicians' confidence or self-efficacy in caring for depressed patients and assess it's reliability and validity. RESEARCH DESIGN: A national sample of primary care physicians were surveyed and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to identify factors underlying physicians' responses to 26 items. We named the factors, selected items with factor loadings > or = 0.50 for final scales, and tested a priori hypotheses about self-efficacy. SUBJECTS: 1) Random cross-sectional sample of family physicians, internists, obstetrician-gynecologists, and pediatricians (n = 5,369) and 2) 49 general internists and family physicians participating in a prepost evaluation of a depression workshop. RESULTS: In the national sample, 3,712 physicians were eligible and 2,104 responded. Forty-six percent were female, and 51% were family physicians and general internists. EFA identified 5 factors, the first of which was called Self-Efficacy (4 items, alpha = 0.86). More family physicians (64%) had confidence (self-efficacy) in caring for depressed patients compared with general internists (33%), obstetrician-gynecologists (16%), and pediatricians (6%) (P < 0.001). Few physicians intended to change their care of depressed patients (10%) or take CME on depression (24%). Of the 49 physicians attending a depression workshop, 76% reported high self-efficacy after the workshop versus 50% before it (P = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the reliability and validity of the Self-Efficacy scale as one method to identify physicians who might benefit from interventions. New approaches are needed because physicians are unlikely to change.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Med Care

DOI

ISSN

0025-7079

Publication Date

August 2001

Volume

39

Issue

8

Start / End Page

856 / 866

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Self Efficacy
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Primary Health Care
  • Physicians, Family
  • Motivation
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Health Policy & Services
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Gerrity, M. S., Williams, J. W., Dietrich, A. J., & Olson, A. L. (2001). Identifying physicians likely to benefit from depression education: a challenge for health care organizations. Med Care, 39(8), 856–866. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005650-200108000-00011
Gerrity, M. S., J. W. Williams, A. J. Dietrich, and A. L. Olson. “Identifying physicians likely to benefit from depression education: a challenge for health care organizations.Med Care 39, no. 8 (August 2001): 856–66. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005650-200108000-00011.
Gerrity MS, Williams JW, Dietrich AJ, Olson AL. Identifying physicians likely to benefit from depression education: a challenge for health care organizations. Med Care. 2001 Aug;39(8):856–66.
Gerrity, M. S., et al. “Identifying physicians likely to benefit from depression education: a challenge for health care organizations.Med Care, vol. 39, no. 8, Aug. 2001, pp. 856–66. Pubmed, doi:10.1097/00005650-200108000-00011.
Gerrity MS, Williams JW, Dietrich AJ, Olson AL. Identifying physicians likely to benefit from depression education: a challenge for health care organizations. Med Care. 2001 Aug;39(8):856–866.

Published In

Med Care

DOI

ISSN

0025-7079

Publication Date

August 2001

Volume

39

Issue

8

Start / End Page

856 / 866

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Self Efficacy
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Primary Health Care
  • Physicians, Family
  • Motivation
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Health Policy & Services