| Variables | General practitioners(n 391) | Pulmonologists(n 95) | GPs vs pulmonologists(p Value) | |
| Mean age (years, SD) | 51.6 (7.5) | 51.0 (7.5) | 0.49 | |
| Gender () | Men | 76.2 | 72.6 | 0.47 |
| Women | 23.8 | 27.4 | ||
| Size of urban unit (1000 inhabitants) | <15 | 34.5 | – | – |
| 15–100 | 31.7 | |||
| >100 | 33.8 | |||
| Number of years of practice (years, SD) | 21.2 (8.3) | 21.1 (8.2) | 0.88 | |
| Daily number of consultations () | <15 | 17.4 | 30.3 | 0.006 |
| 15–25 | 51.8 | 51.7 | ||
| >25 | 30.7 | 18.0 | ||
| Asks questions about past exposure () | Yes | 50.6 | 90.5 | <10−3 |
| No | 49.4 | 9.5 | ||
| Number of medical certificates in the past 5 years ()* | ⩽2 | 58.1 | 16.8 | <10−3 |
| >2 | 41.9 | 83.2 | ||
| Does not know reporting criteria () | Yes | 77.5 | 47.4 | <10−3 |
| No | 22.5 | 52.6 | ||
| Has already had a continuing medical education course | Yes | 16.9 | 41.1 | <10−3 |
| in the field of OH () | ||||
| No | 83.1 | 58.9 | ||
| Has had patients with asbestos-related cancers () | Yes | 11.8 | 40.0 | <10−3 |
| No | 88.2 | 60.0 | ||
| Feels able to answer patients’ questions about | Yes | 63.4 | 81.1 | <10−3 |
| occupational health () | ||||
| No | 36.6 | 18.9 | ||
| Opinions on barriers to reporting of OD | ||||
| Complexity of the lists of compensable OD () | Yes | 79.8 | 52.6 | <10−3 |
| No | 20.2 | 47.4 | ||
| Lack of knowledge of administrative procedures () | Yes | 79.8 | 60.0 | <10−3 |
| No | 20.2 | 40.0 | ||
| Lack of time () | Yes | 47.1 | 48.4 | 0.81 |
| No | 52.9 | 51.6 | ||
| Physician’s role includes | ||||
| Detecting an OD () | Yes | 77.5 | 88.4 | 0.02 |
| No | 22.5 | 11.6 | ||
| Completing OD medical certificates ()* | Yes | 74.9 | 93.7 | <10−3 |
| No | 25.1 | 6.3 | ||
*Certificates for the report of occupational diseases to the French national health insurance fund.