General Practitioners’ Views on Communication About Dietary Supplements During Periodic Health Examinations: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Germany

TL;DR

German doctors often don't discuss dietary supplements during health check-ups due to time and uncertainty, despite recognizing their importance.

Contribution

First study examining German GPs' communication practices about dietary supplements during periodic health examinations.

Findings

64.8% of GPs consider dietary supplements important, but 38.8% rarely discuss them during health exams.

Main barriers include time constraints, competing priorities, and uncertainty about supplements.

Personal use of supplements and viewing them as important correlate with more frequent discussions.

Abstract

The global dietary supplements (DS) market is expanding, numerous adults regularly consume DS. Potential interactions with prescribed medications raise concerns, but communication about DS intake during medical consultations remains limited. This study explores general practitioners’ (GPs) perceptions of communication on DS during periodic health examinations (PHEs).

We conducted a cross-sectional online survey among 162 German GPs between May and August 2021. The pseudonymized web-based questionnaire assessed DS-related was carried out to analyze quantitative data.

In total, 162 general practitioners (GPs) participated in the survey, aged 50.2 years (±11.1). While 64.8% of GPs considered DS to be an important topic, 38.8% rarely or never (<25% of conducted PHE) addressed DS during PHEs. Personal DS use (Cramers’ V = 0.407; P < .001) and considering DS an important topic (Cramers’ V = 0.231; P = .016) were associated with more frequent discussions about DS. Time constraints (24.9%), competing priorities (21.4%), and uncertainty about DS (20.5%) were identified to be the main barriers. Suggestions for improving communication included offering more reliable information and including DS in the medication plan.

This is the first study addressing communication about DS in Germany. Despite recognizing the relevance of DS, GPs’ communication practices remain limited due to time constraints and competing priorities. Integrating DS in the PHE could identify potential interactions with medication, strengthen patient-doctor-relationship, and satisfy patients’ needs for individualized counseling. Implementation of standardized DS documentation in medication plans and the provision of evidence-based information resources may improve patient safety and fulfill GPs informational needs.

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