Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
To identify the attitudes of general practitioners towards the use of thermometers in general practice.
DESIGN:
Postal questionnaire survey.
SETTING:
All general practitioners in the catchment area of Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey.
SUBJECTS:
145 general practitioners.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
Answers to questions covering a variety of aspects concerning the use of thermometers in general practice.
RESULTS:
116 (80%) doctors replied. Seven doctors did not have any method of taking a patient's temperature; up to 12 more doctors did not use their thermometers and 56 doctors used them infrequently, less than once a fortnight. Mercury glass thermometers were most commonly used (80 doctors; 69%), but only 8% of doctors used them correctly. Six doctors failed to clean their thermometers between patients. The study failed to identify the roles of axillary and rectal temperature readings.
CONCLUSION:
There is a wide variation in attitudes towards the use of thermometers in general practice.