NOTIFICATION OF INFECTIOUS-DISEASES BY GENERAL-PRACTITIONERS IN NEW-SOUTH-WALES - SURVEY BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF THE PUBLIC-HEALTH-ACT-1991 (NSW)

Objective: To evaluate attitudes and knowledge about infectious diseas e notification and the self-reported notifying practices of general pr actitioners in New South Wales before and after the introduction of th e 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 t o 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 se lf-reported notification (50% v. 54% who reported notifying cases of n otifiable 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 thei r notifications may be the most effective way to improve notification practices.