Margit Kooijman

Shoulder vignettes | 43 TABLE 1. Demographic details of responding general practitioners and physiotherapists * Four general practitioners did not fill in any of the demographic details Vignette 1: rotator cuff tendinopathy The majority of general practitioners and physiotherapists indicated that no additional investigations were necessary but almost one third of the physiotherapists would opt for referral to a colleague physiotherapist for ultrasound (table 2). Around three quarters of the physiotherapists would advise on home exercises and activity or work modification and half on the general practitioners would do so. Further analysis showed that another 12% of general practitioners would refer the patient to a physiotherapist for this reason. In total, 74% of general practitioners would refer to a physiotherapist for some type of treatment. In both groups of clinicians, only a small number would perform a psychosocial evaluation. General practitioners (n =80)* n (%) Physiotherapists (n = 110) n (%) Age, mean (sd) 46 (10) 46 (13) Gender (male) 46 (55) 56 (51) Years of clinical experience, mean (sd) 17 (11) 22 (13) Formal advanced education in musculoskeletal diseases (yes) (GP only) 1 (1) - Member of a shoulder network (PT only) - 26 (24) Number of patients per week, mean (sd) 103 (30) 52 (13) Number of patients with shoulder complaints per week, mean (sd) 5 (3) 13 (11) Ultrasound at your disposal (yes) 3 (4) 41 (38) Type of practice Solo Duo Group Multidisciplinary (GP + PT) 12 (15) 27 (34) 23 (29) 18 (22) 12 (11) 4 (4) 58 (54) 33 (31)