ABSTRACT
Shared care for prostatic disease involves the joint management of men with prostate problems by family practitioners and urologists. Like many new ideas, this concept was born out of necessity to manage change constructively. Traditionally, the diagnosis and management of prostatic disorders was handled exclusively by urologists for whom there was usually a relatively simple decision-to operate or not to operate. Two developments, in particular, have combined to challenge this modus operandi:
■ Epidemiological surveys suggest that mild-to-moderate symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are extremely prevalent in men who do not seek the advice of either their family practitioner or a urologist [1].
