Diabetic Foot Care: A Screening on Primary Care Providers' Attitude and Practice in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Sultan AlsheikhHesham AlGhofiliReema AlageelOmar A AbabtainGhadah AlarifyNasser AlwehaibiAbdulmajeed AltoijryPublished in: Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) (2022)
Background and Objectives: Diabetic foot (DF) disease is one of the myriad complications of diabetes. Positive outcomes are expected through a multidisciplinary approach as provided by primary care providers (PCPs). This study aimed to assess the knowledge of DF and attitude of physicians in primary healthcare settings toward DF diagnosis and prevention in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: This observational cross-sectional study used a self-administered questionnaire that was completed by family medicine consultants, residents, and general practitioners working in primary care settings in Riyadh. Results: Of the 152 physicians who completed the survey, (43.4%) completed more than 10 h of diabetes continuing medical education (CME) over the past three years. Most (96.1%) PCPs educate patients about foot self-inspection, and only (64.5%) perform foot inspection at every visit in high-risk diabetic foot patients. PCP knowledge about diagnosing and managing diabetic foot infection was suboptimal. Only 53.9% of participants reported performing a probe-to-bone in DF patients with open wounds. Conclusions: We identified knowledge and action gaps among PCPs. Physicians had acceptable knowledge about preventive measures. However, deficits were found regarding diagnosing and management of DF infections. We recommend addressing these knowledge gaps by incorporating DF lectures and workshops within family medicine conferences and residency programs.
Keyphrases
- primary care
- healthcare
- saudi arabia
- end stage renal disease
- chronic kidney disease
- ejection fraction
- newly diagnosed
- type diabetes
- cardiovascular disease
- peritoneal dialysis
- prognostic factors
- general practice
- medical education
- glycemic control
- traumatic brain injury
- patient reported
- bone mineral density
- metabolic syndrome
- quantum dots
- postmenopausal women
- insulin resistance
- skeletal muscle