PUTTING PREVENTION INTO PRACTICE - IMPACT OF A MULTIFACETED PHYSICIANEDUCATION-PROGRAM ON PREVENTIVE SERVICES IN THE INNER-CITY

Background: Physicians' prevention practices often differ from guideli nes published by national authorities. Effective preventive services a re most needed in inner city settings that suffer disproportionately f rom preventable diseases. This study examined the impact of a multifac eted physician prevention education program on the provision of preven tive services in an inner city municipal hospital. Methods: The study used a controlled intervention comparative design at two inner city mu nicipal hospitals-Harlem Hospital Center, New York, NY (intervention s ite) and Kings County Hospital, Brooklyn, NY (comparison site)-serving predominantly African-American patient populations. The intervention site received prototype materials for physicians, patients, and the of fice setting from the US Public Health Service's Put Prevention Into P ractice campaign and a series of prevention lectures from November 199 1 through April 1992. Change in physician prevention practices and kno wledge was assessed by self-administered questionnaires and change in patients' reports of preventive services received was assessed by stru ctured interviews. Results: Physicians at Harlem Hospital Center repor ted a greater postintervention increase in prevention practices and de monstrated a greater increase in prevention knowledge in comparison wi th physicians at Kings County Hospital. Patients at Harlem Hospital Ce nter reported receiving increased preventive services from physicians after the intervention, while patients at Kings County Hospital did no t report any significant change in preventive services received. Concl usions: A multifaceted physician education program using prototype mat erials from the Put Prevention Into Practice campaign with prevention lectures significantly increased the prevention knowledge and practice s reported by physicians and the preventive services reported received by patients at an inner city municipal hospital.