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Objective: The innovation fund project DemStepCare aimed to optimize multi-professional care through case management, risk stratification, and crisis outpatient clinic. Here, the evaluation results from the perspective of the general practitioners are presented., Methods: A quantitative survey was carried out at three time points regarding acceptance, benefit assessment and sensitivity to dementia of the general practitioners. In addition, qualitative interviews were conducted., Results: Satisfaction with the overall project was high. Added value and relief factors were perceived and more effective and stable dementia care was achieved through collaboration with case management. Physicians reported increased subjective competence in diagnostics and disease management., Conclusions: The results confirm the benefit and effectiveness of DemStepCare from general practitioner's perspective., Competing Interests: Die Autorinnen/Autoren geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).)

Background: Given the risk of a shortage of general practitioners in private practice, the question arises as to which concepts can make an effective contribution. To date, there is a lack of studies that comprehensively shed light on how general practitioners, based on their professional experience, view different approaches to ensuring primary care in the long term., Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the positions, attitudes, and experiences of general practitioners with regard to ensuring primary care., Methods: Using an online survey, a total of 4176 general practitioners were surveyed between February and June 2023. In addition to the descriptive analysis, a t-test on independent samples was used to determine significant differences between two groups., Results: Of those surveyed, 42% reported a noticeable decline of general medical practices in their area. In addition, 53% saw a declining attractiveness of primary care for young doctors, which is attributed to three problem areas: 1) the position of primary care in the healthcare system, 2) requirements for training and further education, and 3) working conditions. In order to secure primary care, those surveyed were primarily in favor of the following approaches: establishing a primary care physician system (85%), increasing the promotion of interest and points of contact in training and further education (80%), strengthening multi-professional outpatient care centers (64%), restructuring curricula (56%) and admission criteria for medical studies (50%), and reforming general medical training (53%)., Conclusions: As the results show, general practitioners have their own suggestions and preferences that complement existing expert assessments. General practitioners should be more consistently involved in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of measures to stabilize primary care., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Long-term reinforcement in the role of primary care and improvement the healthcare system as a whole requires the involvement of GPs in clinical research processes. However, many clinical studies fail due to failure to achieve sample population targets amongst GPs and their patients. This issue has been identified and discussed, but effective strategies to overcome it are still lacking. One of the reasons is that the positions, requirements, and experiences of GPs on participating in clinical research have hardly been examined up to now., Methods: The years 2021 and 2022 saw three quantitative and qualitative surveys amongst GPs in Germany with the aim of shedding light on the attitudes, experiences, and potential issues regarding the involvement of primary care in clinical research projects and participation in cluster-randomised controlled trials (cRCTs) in a general sense. This overview summarises and abstracts conclusions gained from the exploratory series of studies and compares the results with the current research situation. From here, this contribution will then develop an approach towards optimising the integration of GPs into clinical research., Results: Most of the GPs asked associated clinical research with opportunities and potential such as closing gaps in healthcare, using evidence-based instruments, optimising diagnostic and therapeutic management, and reinforcement of multiprofessional healthcare. Even so, many GPs unsure as to how far primary care in particular would stand to benefit from studies of this type in the long term. Respondents were also divided on willingness to participate in clinical research. GPs having already participated in Innovation Fund projects generally saw a benefit regarding intervention and cost-benefit relationship. However, some also reported major hurdles and stress factors such as excessive documentation and enrolment requirements, greater interference in practice routines, and sometimes poor integration into project processes such as in communication and opportunities to play an active role in the project., Conclusions: Results from the studies presented provide indications as to how GPs perceive clinical research projects and cRCTs as a whole and from their existing project experience, and on the requirements that studies would have to meet for GPs to be willing to participate. In particular, making sure that clinical studies fully conform with GPs would play a major role; this especially applies to freedom to make medical decisions, limitation of documentation obligations, interference in regular practice routine, greater involvement in research planning, and long-term reinforcement in the role of primary care. Clinical research projects and cRCTs should be planned, designed, and communicated for clear and visible relevance to everyday primary care., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The support of people in need of care and assistance is often provided by caring relatives. General practitioners can play an important role in supporting this group, if they adapt to the problems and wishes of family caregivers.The aim of the exploratory study is to contrast care needs of family caregivers regarding the GP support with actually experienced care and, thereby, work out approaches for strengthening the GP's role.A total of 37 family caregivers were recruited via 13 internet forums focused on caregiving. Telephone interviews were conducted between September 2020 and March 2021.The majority of those interviewed consider the GP to be an important support body with a high level of competence and trust. The interviewees praise the GP's knowledge of the personal care situation, the responsiveness to a wide variety of problems and the focus on those in need of care. However, communication about the caring activity is often delayed significantly (late identification and addressing of family caregivers). GPs do not always address the needs of relatives to the same extent as they do to those in need of care. Only some of the doctors refer caregivers to offers of help and support.GPs can play a central role in supporting family caregivers. An crucial prerequisite for this is that family caregivers are recognized and involved at an early stage. In addition, it is important that GPs take into account the needs, desires and stresses of both caregivers and those being cared for. Consistent references to offers of help make it easier for family caregivers to organize care and to receive (psychosocial) support., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Studies show that over-the-counter drugs are widely used by consumers. Moreover, there is a huge selection available and they are prominently featured in advertising. To date, there exist only a few studies that shed light on the attitudes, attributions, and usage patterns of patients with regard to use of over-the-counter drugs. An anonymized explorative waiting room survey was conducted among 900 patients in 60 GP practices in the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, and Rhineland-Palatinate. As well as the descriptive analysis, a t test was applied to independent random samples, in order to identify significant differences between two groups. 65% of respondents reported using over-the-counter drugs frequently or occasionally. With regard to effects, risks, and side effects, 54% state that they usually take advice from their GP and/or pharmacist before purchasing or taking over-the-counter preparations. For 56%, the package information leaflet is a frequent source of information about the over-the-counter drugs used. The respondents consider over-the-counter preparations to be particularly suitable for (preventive) treatment of colds, flu symptoms, and pain management. The widespread perception of over-the-counter drugs as simple to use (62%), low-dose (69%), and low-efficacy (73%) products does not always correspond to the actual capabilities and risks of over-the-counter self-medication. Given the easy availability of over-the-counter drugs and their strong presence in advertising, it is important that patients have a realistic idea of the capabilities and risks of over-the-counter products. In addition to the advice provided by pharmacists, the trusting, long-standing support provided by GPs and their ongoing information and advice services play a central role in this. It would be advisable to give more attention to this public health concern and to promote initiatives to make patients more aware of the risks regarding consumption of drugs without medical consultation., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The Innovation Fund was set up in 2015 with the aim of improving medical care in the German statutory health insurance system. Primary care needs to be involved in testing interventions and new forms of care for effectiveness and inclusion in standard care. There has so far been hardly any research on how far Innovation Fund models accommodate the primary care setting, or on the experience general practitioners have had with these models. Between September 2021 and January 2022, 36 semi-standardized individual interviews were performed with general practitioners who had already participated in Innovation Fund projects. Eleven regional physician networks in Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Schleswig-Holstein were involved in the recruitment process. Most of the interviewees associated the Innovation Fund with potential and opportunity including intensification of application-oriented healthcare research, independent financing, and general healthcare involvement. Even so, many general practitioners were unsure as to how far primary care in particular would stand to benefit from the Innovation Fund in the long term. A mostly positive balance was drawn from participation in care models-benefit of intervention as well as cost-benefit ratio. However, some also reported hurdles and stress factors such as documentation requirements and disruption in everyday office routine. Innovation Fund projects will need to be suitable for general practitioners especially regarding medical decision-making leeway, limits to documentation requirements, preserving established office routine, greater involvement in research planning, and improvements to the primary care setting to encourage willingness to participate in Innovation Fund projects amongst general practitioners., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

In advanced age, physical activity becomes an important element in maintaining one's individual health. GPs are considered to be well suited for advising and attending to older patients according to the principles of (preventive) healthcare. The subject was examined in the context of a study that determined options for action, experiences and strategies relating to the physical activation of older patients by GPs. Between 2021 and 2022, 76 semi-standardised interviews amongst GPs were conducted in all federal states of Germany. The data were evaluated by qualitative content analysis. The category system includes: importance of promoting physical activity; focus of exercise counselling; procedure of counselling; overview of exercise offers and cooperation with healthcare stakeholders; challenges and optimisation approaches. Many interviewees were aware of the significance of promoting health and exercise among older persons. Some physicians paid attention to identifying suitable activities for patients and motivating them to participate on a long-term basis. Cooperations with local health stakeholders have been identified. The interviewees recognised various challenges, which were mainly attributable to the lack of structures for health promotion. Several of the GPs lacked an overview of the physical activity programmes. GPs should assume an active role in exercise and health promotion for older patients. For them to be able to refer their patients effectively to exercise opportunities offered, it will be of importance to integrate the GP setting into a community-based network of prevention. Training measures could support the GP team to refer to the value of physical activity and address need-based recommendations., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Aim: Increasingly at GP practices, patients appear who are extremely worried as a result of health information researched online and consequently affected by doubts and concerns. The study highlights GP attitudes and experiences with regard to this patient group. Moreover, it identifies strategies adopted by GPs to respond appropriately to worried or scared patients., Subject and Methods: In the German federal states of Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, 2532 GPs were surveyed between June and August 2022. Owing to the explorative nature of the study, a descriptive analysis was conducted., Results: Of the total respondents, 77% deemed the current problem of internet-related health concerns to be a major challenge in everyday practice. The implications affect patients' mental stability and expectations towards the doctor (esp. demand for further instrumental diagnosis, 83%). One doctor in five (20%) has experienced the termination of patient contact because the relationship with the patient was no longer possible due to the patient's uncontrolled online information behaviour. To respond to worried or scared patients, the respondents generally ask certain patient groups about online research (39%) and take this into account in the doctor-patient discussion (23%). Furthermore, the respondents use a detailed explanation of the diagnosis and/or treatment (65%) and recommend websites that they consider reputable (66%). Some of the doctors prefer a joint examination of the information researched by the patient (55%) as well as to explain the benefits and risks of online research (43%)., Conclusion: Many GPs demonstrate a high level of awareness and sensitivity with regard to extensive online research and potentially worried patients. It seems advisable to actively address the online search for information in the patient consultation to prevent possible negative effects on the doctor-patient relationship and to actively involve the patient. In this respect, it would also be worth considering expanding the medical history to include the dimension of online searching., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10389-023-01909-1., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and the writing of the paper., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Introduction: In primary care, elevated liver values are often an incidental finding. In addition to observing symptoms, it is crucial for an effective clarification which liver values are included as indicators and when patients are referred for further diagnostics. It also depends on regular cooperation between general practitioner and specialist care level. So far, there has been a lack of reliable studies for German-speaking countries on the status quo with regard to the clarification of (unclear) elevated liver values in primary care. This overview article compresses the balance of an exploratory series of studies, the aim of which was to take stock of the general practitioner's diagnostics of (unclear) elevated liver values. Starting points for optimizing GP care are derived from the results., Methods and Participants: Between 2017 and 2021, four written surveys of general practitioners and gastroenterological specialists were carried out in different federal states. The present study review discusses the overall findings in a condensed manner at a higher level, but also deals with specific findings., Results: When it comes to clarifying elevated liver values, there are various challenges and problems in general practitioner care. For example, GPs use widely different liver-associated laboratory parameters (95% γ-GT, 65% AST, 63% ALT) that are bundled in different clusters. In the case of elevated liver values, the majority of general practitioners prefer to wait in a controlled manner (66%), but often make use of direct and early referrals to specialists in everyday practice due to diagnostic uncertainties (40%). When working with gastroenterological specialists, there are various interface problems, which, among other things, are associated with the GP's preliminary clarification and the time of referral. Both GPs and specialists see the introduction of a structured, evidence-based diagnostic algorithm as an important approach for improving early detection and better coordination between the levels of care (80% respective 85%)., Discussion: It makes sense to take measures that contribute to the professionalization and standardization of general practitioner diagnostics and better structure cooperation with gastroenterological specialists. These include, for example, a broader range of training and advanced training formats, the development of a validated diagnostic pathway or the permanent establishment of a liver value-associated blood test as part of the check-up. The development of a well-founded GP-based guideline for the detection and handling of elevated liver values also appears advisable., Competing Interests: Die Autorinnen/Autoren geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).)

Introduction:  In primary care, abnormal liver chemistries are often being diagnosed unintentionally. In addition to paying attention to symptoms, it is crucial for an effective clarification which liver values are taken into account as indicators and when patients are referred for further diagnostics. It is also important to have a functioning collaboration between GPs and specialists. To date, there are hardly any current findings about the procedure and the challenges experienced by GPs in German-speaking countries when it comes to clarifying increased liver values., Methods:  In the course of a survey based on several preliminary studies, a total of 2,701 GPs in Hesse and Baden-Württemberg were interviewed between October 2019 and March 2020. The focus was on behavior and strategies with regard to the clarification of elevated liver values. In addition to the descriptive analysis, a factor analysis was performed., Results:  The results show various challenges and problems that primary care is confronted with in everyday practice. There are very different clusters with regard to paying attention to warning signs as well as liver values that are being analyzed in the course of a liver function test. In the case of increased liver values, 59 % of the physicians surveyed generally prefer a controlled waiting. Nevertheless, many GPs refer patients with elevated liver values directly to gastroenterological specialists (66 %). The doctors surveyed experience various interface problems in working with gastroenterological specialists., Discussion:  It seems sensible to take measures that contribute to greater professionalization and standardization of primary care diagnostics and to a more structured cooperation with gastroenterological specialists. These include, for example, a broader range of training and further education formats, the development of a validated diagnostic pathway for classifying and evaluating elevated liver enzymes (especially early detection of patients at increased risk for liver fibrosis or liver cirrhosis) or the establishment of a liver function screening as part of the general medical check-up. The development of a GP-based guideline for dealing with increased liver values should be followed up., Competing Interests: Die Autorinnen/Autoren geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).)

Background:  General practitioners are considered to be well suited when it comes to addressing the information and care needs of family caregivers. The aim of the present study is to examine how general practitioners assess their possibilities to support caregivers, what priorities they set and to what extent they experience challenges., Methods and Participants:  In the course of an online survey with a postal cover letter, a total of 3,556 GPs in in Baden-Württemberg, Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate were interviewed between February and June 2021. Due to the exploratory approach of the study, only a descriptive data analysis was carried out., Results:  68 % of the GPs surveyed often deal with family caregivers in everyday practice; 77 % consider the GP's office to be well suited as the primary point of contact for family caregivers and care coordination. Often it is caregiving relatives who ask the GP about the issue of care (89 %). Frequent contents concern a deterioration in the care situation (75 %) and a change in the need for care (84 %); consultations in the initial phase of care are less common (40 %). There are differences between urban and rural doctors in the perception of the needs of caregivers and the setting of priorities. Rural doctors give more weight to proactive and psychosocial care, whereas doctors in urban regions rely on the specialist and support network. GPs experience various challenges while supporting caregivers, including the timely organization of suitable relief offers (87 %), the referral to suitable offers of help (79 %) or the early identification of informal caregivers (59 %)., Discussion:  GPs can play a central role in supporting family caregivers. A crucial prerequisite for this is that family caregivers are recognized and involved at an early stage. Consistent references to offers of help make it easier for family caregivers to organize care and to receive (psychosocial) support. In addition, it is important that GPs take into account the needs, desires and stresses of both caregivers and those being cared for., Competing Interests: Die Autorinnen/Autoren geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).)

Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Background: The Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) is planning to set up an independent national health portal to provide evidence-based health information. As a desirable characteristic it should support doctors in their informational and advisory work. General practitioners, who deal with a wide range of symptoms, illnesses and patients, could benefit from this. In cooperation with the BMG's health innovation hub (hih), a research project was initiated in which GP positions, needs and requirements regarding a national health portal were identified., Methods and Participants: Based on a preliminary qualitative study, a total of 745 GPs in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland were interviewed in the course of a survey in early 2020. In addition to the descriptive analysis, a t-test with independent samples was used to identify significant differences between two groups., Results: GPs expressed a need for a national health portal; 54% evaluated the concept positively and 49% saw a great potential for such support. Above all, help regarding medical advice (68%), optimization of doctor-patient communication (56%), stabilization of anxious patients (42%) and a better 'training' in dealing with the health system (41%) as also long- term stabilization of supply settings (38%) were mentioned. Focus on prevention (91%) and a symptom-oriented presentation (62%) were considered important by GPs. Some GPs would also consider using this platform to compile information for their patients (45%) and exchange information with colleagues (44%)., Discussion: In the creation of a national health portal, GPs see significant opportunities for better patient information and counseling. On the one hand, the portal should be guideline based, and information conveyed in an understandable and symptom-oriented manner. On the other hand, it should support the doctor-patient relationship and improve orientation in healthcare. Open questions remain such as how to find the portal easily., Competing Interests: Die Autorinnen/Autoren geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).)

Background: In 2003, disease management programs (DMP) were established to improve the care of chronically ill outpatient patients. Since then, there has been a lot of controversy over the meaning and benefits of structured treatment programs, especially among primary care physicians. The present study examines the attitudes and experiences of general practitioners in relation to DMP, how they assess these one and a half decades after their introduction, and where DMP need to be improved., Methods and Participants: In the course of a written survey, a total of 752 general practitioners in Hesse were interviewed between April and June 2019. In addition to the descriptive analysis, a factor analysis was performed., Results: 59 % of the interviewees assess the DMP as positive and consider it a useful contribution to primary care. 89 % are currently participating in one or more DMPs, with 52 % indicating that the treatment of patients included in DMP has benefited significantly. Respondents consider the provision of regular, structured patient care and the improvement of compliance to be particularly positive. It is also stated that the diagnostic and therapeutic knowledge could be extended by DMP participation. 58 % always follow the DMP therapy recommendations. Documentation requirements and frequent organizational changes to the programs are criticized. From the point of view of the respondents, a far-reaching rigidity of the DMP concept leads to an exaggerated narrowing of the scope for action and occasionally to complications in practice. The results show that the cooperation with specialist colleagues within DMP is often experienced as unsatisfactory., Discussion: From a primary care point of view, a substantial improvement in DMP would mean a simplification of the documentation and administration effort, better regulated and smoother cooperation with other care levels, a greater degree of decision flexibility, a greater and more differentiated offer of compulsory training, and an increased involvement of primary care experience in the process of DMP development as well as a better reward., Competing Interests: Die Autoren geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Background: It may happen that extensive internet search leads to health anxiety in patients, which solidify in the long term. Dealing with such 'cyberchondria' presents a special challenge for the physician. The study highlights general medical attitudes and experiences with regard to patients who are increasingly searching the Internet for symptoms, illnesses or therapies. Particular emphasis will be given to persons who develop health anxieties due to previous Health information on the Internet. It will be determined which procedures make sense in order to respond appropriately to patients with internet-related health concerns., Methods and Participants: In the course of a written survey, a total of 844 general practitioners and primary care internists in southern Hesse and additionally in the rural districts of Gießen, Marburg-Biedenkopf, Kassel and the city of Kassel were interviewed between April 20 and June 20, 2018., Results: Two-thirds of respondents assume that 15 % or more of their own patients confront them with the results of their own internet search. 73 % see the emergence of internet-related health anxiety as an increasing problem in patient care. Against this background, the respondents predominantly see negative effects caused by online self-information (psychological stability, expectations towards the doctor). Almost one of five doctors (18 %) has already experienced the termination of care relationships due to an extensive internet search by the patient. In order to respond to unsettled or frightened patients, the physicians surveyed rely on a detailed explanation of the diagnosis and/or therapy and recommend certain websites that they consider to be reputable., Discussion: The authors argue that the online information search should be actively discussed in the patient interview in order to prevent possible negative effects on the doctor-patient relationship. Accordingly, it would be worth considering to extend the medical history by the dimension of online self-information., Competing Interests: Die Autoren geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Background: It is regularly criticized that the detection of dementia in primary care is not effective enough, especially with regard to early stages of dementia. Previous research results suggest that there are reservations among general practitioners towards dementia diagnostics. So far, however, the causes for this or the positions and strategies of general practitioners towards dementia care have not been sufficiently investigated. The aim of the study was to investigate the attitudes of general practitioners towards dementia diagnostics, to identify common challenges in day-to-day practice and to derive starting points for optimization., Methods and Participants: In the course of a survey, which was developed on the basis of a separate preliminary interview study, 425 general practitioners in Rhineland-Palatinate were interviewed (survey period: November 2017 - January 2018)., Results: The results show that a considerable part of the doctors surveyed have withdrawn from dementia diagnostics and delegated the care of dementia patients exclusively to the medical specialist level. From the data material, various reservations and challenges can be summarized, which can be seen as barriers to the effectiveness of primary care for dementia patients: 1) Low self-efficacy perception towards dementia, 2) differential diagnosis as hurdle, 3) challenges in doctor-patient communication, 4) lack of remuneration, 5) low involvement of practice staff members, 6) more negative attitudes towards dementia diagnosis due to lack of geriatric education, 7) limited cooperation with and knowledge of regional counseling and care services., Discussion: Several starting points can be identified to further optimize the GP dementia diagnoses and care: 1) Increased awareness of options beyond therapeutic interventions, 2) differential diagnosis and care pathways, 3) doctor-patient communication, 4) remuneration and incentives, 5) involvement of practice staff members, 6) higher sensitivity due to geriatric education, 7) cooperation with and knowledge of dementia care and counseling services., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Background: In general practitioner care, abnormal liver chemistries are often being diagnosed unintentionally. So far, there is no evidence-based, structured diagnostic pathway for classifying and evaluating elevated liver enzymes, especially with regard to the early detection of patients at increased risk for liver fibrosis or liver cirrhosis. Accordingly, dealing with elevated liver values which are noticed in the course of a general blood examination is a diagnostic challenge that strongly depends on the doctor's approach., Methods and Participants: In the course of a survey, 391 general practitioners in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland were interviewed between March and June 2017. The focus was on behavior and strategies with regard to the clarification of elevated liver values as well as the identification of challenges and training interests. In addition to the descriptive analysis, a factor analysis was performed., Results: The determination of liver values such as γ-GT, AST and ALT is frequently performed in general practitioner care without the existence of any particular cause. There are strongly different clusters of liver values that are being analyzed in the course of a liver function test. In the case of increased liver values, a majority of the physicians surveyed generally prefer a controlled waiting (58 %). Due to the absence of an established diagnosis and treatment pathway, challenges arise in everyday practice which relate to controlled waiting, cooperation with gastroenterological specialists, as well as orientation to predefined laboratory value portfolios., Discussion: In addition to the introduction of an evidence-based diagnosis and treatment pathway, it should be considered to optimize the flow of information between general practitioners and gastroenterological specialists. Last but not least, it would be desirable if more training courses for general practitioners could be offered in this subject area., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)