OBJECTIVESThe physicians knowledge and attitude to erectile dysfunction (ED) is very important to the diagnosis and management of this disease. We investigated the physicians and practitioners knowledge of ED, attitude to ED, and if they actively find the underlying ED patients.

METHODSThree hundreds and one physicians and practitioners in Beijing completed a questionnaire. The subjects included urologists, cardiologists, endocrinologists, surgeons, orthopaedicians and community practitioners.

RESULTSThe definition of ED was well known by most subjects (83.4%). Many agreed that ED was a common condition in the aging men (85.0%), and it was an important health problem (78.7%) and it was the local signs of certain systemic diseases (89.7%). The most common risk factors of ED enumerated by the physicians were diabetes (45.5%), hypertension (12.6%) and coronary artery diseases (12.0%). 45.5% physicians met the patients who initiated questions about ED. 32.6% physicians would discuss ED with the patients if the patients initiate questions about ED. 95.0% non-urological physicians would refer the ED patients to urologists or andrologists. 43.5% of all the physicians never asked their patients about erectile function, this proportions in the subgroups of urologists, non-urological physicians and community practitioners were 7.2%, 55.3% and 60.5% respectively (P < 0.01). The most common reasons for the physicians not to initiate the inquiries about ED was "the patients would not have ED if they didnt complain about it" (42.2%), "there was no ED patients in my specialty" (20.9%), "diagnosis and treatment of ED was not my business" (17.3%), "have no time" (15.6%), "feel embarrassed" (13.6%).

CONCLUSIONSMost physicians regarded ED as an important health problem and a common condition in aging men, but they didnt take an active attitude to ED in their clinical practice.