[General practitioners and patients' social status].

The claim has been made that general practitioners known their patients' social context well. We aimed to explore the mechanisms by which this context comes to the doctors' attention and leads to a change in management. This paper summarizes the results of four papers published in international journals. A questionnaire survey was conducted, in which doctors and patients answered mirrored questions. 1,401 patients visiting 89 general practitioners during one practice day were included. 1,217 patients responded (87%). Work-related problems were often recognized, financial problems not, while the results for interpersonal problems were intermediate. Sociodemographic characteristics of the patients and the general practitioners' previous general knowledge of the patients influenced the doctors' recognition of problems. Doctors and patients select certain subjects, particularly those related to occupational life, as more relevant than others. The doctors' recognition is influenced by presuppositions. A lasting doctor-patient relationship facilitates the transmission of intimate information.