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Atherosclerosis knowledge - diagnosis and management in primary care
Marie Charasson1, Guillaume Mahé1,2, Charles Le Brun1
11 Rennes University Hospital, Rennes, France.
VASA. Zeitschrift Fur Gefasskrankheiten
|July 27, 2018
Summary
General practitioners demonstrate varied knowledge of atherosclerosis across different locations, with significantly higher awareness of transient ischaemic attack compared to stable angina and intermittent claudication. While diagnosis is accurate, management requires further support.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Medical Education
- Public Health
Background:
- Atherosclerosis is a primary global cause of mortality, manifesting as ischaemic stroke, coronary heart disease (CHD), and peripheral artery disease (PAD).
- General practitioner (GP) awareness of atherosclerosis across these three key clinical presentations has not been previously studied collectively.
- This study aimed to assess and compare GP knowledge regarding these distinct atherosclerotic disease locations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate and compare the awareness levels of French general practitioners concerning atherosclerosis in the brain (transient ischaemic attack), heart (stable angina), and limbs (intermittent claudication).
- To identify potential disparities in GP knowledge based on the anatomical location of atherosclerotic disease.
Main Methods:
- A self-administered survey was distributed to 18,500 French GPs between February and May 2017.
- The questionnaire included three clinical vignettes representing transient ischaemic attack (TIA), stable angina (SA), and intermittent claudication (IC), each with seven identical questions.
- The primary outcome measured was the number of physicians correctly answering at least five questions for each clinical case.
Main Results:
- A total of 1,724 GPs completed the survey.
- Knowledge regarding TIA (48.2%) was significantly higher than for SA (3.0%) and IC (0.4%).
- While diagnostic accuracy for TIA, SA, and IC was high (96.7%, 89.7%, 96.5% respectively), poor knowledge ratings were linked to inadequate prescription of investigations and treatments.
Conclusions:
- GP knowledge of atherosclerosis significantly differs based on the affected location.
- Physicians demonstrate strong diagnostic capabilities but require enhanced support in managing patients with atherosclerotic diseases.
- Targeted educational interventions may be necessary to improve the comprehensive management of atherosclerosis across all its clinical forms.
Keywords:
Atherosclerosisgeneral practitionersintermittent claudicationstable anginatransient ischaemic attackMore Related Videos
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