Hi,

I'm planning a qualiative research project and seek your input in the
question design for in-depth interview with physicians.  It is known from
random national surveys with Peds, FPs, and OBs that significant
discrepency exists between professional guidelines regarding physician
support for breastfeeding and actual physician KAP (knowledge, attitudes,
and practices).  I'd like to explore what the reasons are for this
discrepency to guide corrective interventions.  It's been assumed that the
discrepency is simply due to an educational deficit.  I suspect logistic
and cultural (i.e. beliefs about breasts/parenting/control...) are
important.  In addition, physicians may simply not agree with existing
guidelines or summaries of the data.

What's your experience?  What do you see as the factors which facilitate
vs impair the inclination and ability of physicians to support
breastfeeding?  By this I don't mean to pressure anyone to breastfeed, but
to facilitate an evidence-based discussion of the health advantages of BF,
to explore the parents' ideas and needs, to provide encouragement and
knowledgeable problem-solving when needed, and to avoid practices known to
undermine BF.

Thanks so much for your input!

*********************************************************************
MaryAnn O'Hara, MD, MSt
Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program
University of Washington
1959 NE Pacific, Rm H-220 Health Sciences Center, Box 357183
Seattle, WA 98195-7183
(office)         # 206-616-8724
(home office)      206-329-6870
(fax)              206-685-2473
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
*********************************************************************

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