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Estimating dissemination of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention STD treatment guidelines from a survey of physicians.
International Journal of STD & AIDS 2007; 18:318-320.
Hogben M, Wimberly YH, Moore S.
Abstract
Periodically, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) produce
guidelines for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the
USA. To date, few evaluations of the dissemination of these guidelines exist.
A paper and pencil survey was distributed via priority mail to a sample of
Atlanta-area physicians, 416 (34%) of whom responded with complete data. Physicians
were drawn from private practice, managed-care settings and public settings.
In all, 85% of respondents treated STD, with a further 10% referring cases.
Of those treating STD, 56% owned a copy of the 2002 CDC Treatment Guidelines,
and 26% knew how to access them. The corresponding figures for physicians
not treating STD were 25% and 30%. Of the physicians who did have copies,
half had accessed the internet for their copies. Acquisition of, or the knowledge
of how to acquire, the CDC STD Treatment Guidelines was widespread. The internet
may be an effective and cost-saving means of disseminating the guidelines,
although the continued need for print distribution should not be discounted.