Table 4

Pressure from patients and response by professionals

Patients (or their guardians) request unnecessary tests and procedures from youYou order/carry out unnecessary tests or procedures due to pressure from a patient (or guardian)You convince the patient (or guardian) that it is unnecessary and can pose significant riskThe patient’s response is negative, or even aggressive, when you refuse to carry out a procedure that the patient requests from you
N (%)N (%)N (%)N (%)
General practitioners (n = 936)
 Never12 (1.3)118 (12.6)55 (5.9)237 (25.3)Never
 Monthly192 (20.5)463 (49.5)248 (26.5)400 (42.7)Sometimes
 Almost every week396 (42.3)271 (29.0)356 (38.0)168 (17.9)Half the time
 Almost every day260 (27.8)69 (7.4)227 (24.3)92 (9.8)Most of the time
 Every day76 (8.1)15 (1.6)50 (5.3)39 (4.2)All the time
Paediatricians (n = 682)
 Never9 (1.3)188 (27.6)14 (2.1)231 (33.9)Never
 Monthly228 (33.4)401 (58.8)182 (26.7)343 (50.3)Sometimes
 Almost every week316 (46.3)84 (12.3)262 (38.4)73 (10.7)Half the time
 Almost every day113 (16.6)6 (0.9)188 (27.6)30 (4.4)Most of the time
 Every day16 (2.3)3 (0.4)36 (5.3)5 (0.7)All the time
Nurses (n = 286)
 Never10 (3.5)37 (12.9)9 (3.1)36 (12.6)Never
 Monthly82 (28.7)123 (43.0)106 (37.1)158 (55.2)Sometimes
 Almost every week137 (47.9)87 (30.4)71 (24.8)36 (12.6)Half the time
 Almost every day46 (16.1)31 (10.8)92 (32.2)54 (18.9)Most of the time
 Every day11 (3.8)8 (2.8)8.0 (2.8)2 (0.7)All the time