Assessment of knowledge of primary healthcare physicians in the western region of Saudi Arabia about Hidradenitis Suppurativa
BackgroundHidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is a relatively common chronic inflammatory skin disorder. Early identification by primary healthcare (PHC) physicians plays a crucial role in preventing its adverse outcomes.ObjectiveTo assess the knowledge of primary healthcare physicians in the Western Regi...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1483112/full |
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| author | Jumana Nabeel Akbar Mawaddah Abdulgader Tallab Sarah Bandar Aljoudi Houriah Y. Nukaly Mohammed Haitham Abduljabbar |
| author_facet | Jumana Nabeel Akbar Mawaddah Abdulgader Tallab Sarah Bandar Aljoudi Houriah Y. Nukaly Mohammed Haitham Abduljabbar |
| author_sort | Jumana Nabeel Akbar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundHidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is a relatively common chronic inflammatory skin disorder. Early identification by primary healthcare (PHC) physicians plays a crucial role in preventing its adverse outcomes.ObjectiveTo assess the knowledge of primary healthcare physicians in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia regarding HS and identify the determinants influencing their knowledge level.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among randomly selected PHC physicians working in the cities of Jeddah, Makkah, and Taif. A valid and reliable self-administered online questionnaire was used for data collection.ResultsA total of 106 PHC physicians participated in the study, with ages ranging from 26 to 48 years. The majority (79.2%) were aware of HS. The most frequently reported source of information was a diagnosed patient (64.3%). Overall, 47.2% of participants demonstrated a good level of knowledge regarding HS. Female physicians (p = 0.043), those over 35 years of age (p = 0.001), family medicine consultants (p < 0.001), physicians with more than 10 years of clinical experience (p = 0.008), and those who had seen more than five dermatological cases per day (p = 0.019) were significantly more knowledgeable. Most participants assigned the responsibility for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of HS cases to dermatologists, followed by surgeons or PHC physicians. About one-third (33%) had previously diagnosed a case of HS.ConclusionAlthough most PHC physicians in Western Saudi Arabia were aware of HS, less than half demonstrated a good level of knowledge, and only one-third had ever diagnosed a case. These findings highlight the need to implement targeted dermatology education programs for PHC physicians. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4bbcbf38c6e748e8b8d89a4e449a3c56 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2296-858X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-4bbcbf38c6e748e8b8d89a4e449a3c562025-08-20T02:28:19ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Medicine2296-858X2025-05-011210.3389/fmed.2025.14831121483112Assessment of knowledge of primary healthcare physicians in the western region of Saudi Arabia about Hidradenitis SuppurativaJumana Nabeel Akbar0Mawaddah Abdulgader Tallab1Sarah Bandar Aljoudi2Houriah Y. Nukaly3Mohammed Haitham Abduljabbar4Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Dermatology, King Fahad General Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Dermatology, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaFaculty of Medicine, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Dermatology, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaBackgroundHidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is a relatively common chronic inflammatory skin disorder. Early identification by primary healthcare (PHC) physicians plays a crucial role in preventing its adverse outcomes.ObjectiveTo assess the knowledge of primary healthcare physicians in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia regarding HS and identify the determinants influencing their knowledge level.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among randomly selected PHC physicians working in the cities of Jeddah, Makkah, and Taif. A valid and reliable self-administered online questionnaire was used for data collection.ResultsA total of 106 PHC physicians participated in the study, with ages ranging from 26 to 48 years. The majority (79.2%) were aware of HS. The most frequently reported source of information was a diagnosed patient (64.3%). Overall, 47.2% of participants demonstrated a good level of knowledge regarding HS. Female physicians (p = 0.043), those over 35 years of age (p = 0.001), family medicine consultants (p < 0.001), physicians with more than 10 years of clinical experience (p = 0.008), and those who had seen more than five dermatological cases per day (p = 0.019) were significantly more knowledgeable. Most participants assigned the responsibility for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of HS cases to dermatologists, followed by surgeons or PHC physicians. About one-third (33%) had previously diagnosed a case of HS.ConclusionAlthough most PHC physicians in Western Saudi Arabia were aware of HS, less than half demonstrated a good level of knowledge, and only one-third had ever diagnosed a case. These findings highlight the need to implement targeted dermatology education programs for PHC physicians.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1483112/fullacne inversageneral physiciansphysician trainingclinical competenceprimary healthcareskin lesions |
| spellingShingle | Jumana Nabeel Akbar Mawaddah Abdulgader Tallab Sarah Bandar Aljoudi Houriah Y. Nukaly Mohammed Haitham Abduljabbar Assessment of knowledge of primary healthcare physicians in the western region of Saudi Arabia about Hidradenitis Suppurativa Frontiers in Medicine acne inversa general physicians physician training clinical competence primary healthcare skin lesions |
| title | Assessment of knowledge of primary healthcare physicians in the western region of Saudi Arabia about Hidradenitis Suppurativa |
| title_full | Assessment of knowledge of primary healthcare physicians in the western region of Saudi Arabia about Hidradenitis Suppurativa |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of knowledge of primary healthcare physicians in the western region of Saudi Arabia about Hidradenitis Suppurativa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of knowledge of primary healthcare physicians in the western region of Saudi Arabia about Hidradenitis Suppurativa |
| title_short | Assessment of knowledge of primary healthcare physicians in the western region of Saudi Arabia about Hidradenitis Suppurativa |
| title_sort | assessment of knowledge of primary healthcare physicians in the western region of saudi arabia about hidradenitis suppurativa |
| topic | acne inversa general physicians physician training clinical competence primary healthcare skin lesions |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1483112/full |
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