AWARENESS OF PRIMARY IMMUNODEFICIENCY DISEASES AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Medical Education

Background:

• Primary immunodeficiency diseases (PID) are rare, chronic disorders affecting the immune system, necessitating early diagnosis and effective management.
• Improving the prognosis of PID relies on timely detection, treatment, and complication prevention, highlighting the importance of medical professional awareness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the knowledge of graduating medical students regarding the signs of primary immunodeficiency in both pediatric and adult populations.
• To identify specific areas of deficiency in medical students' understanding of PID, informing targeted educational interventions.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 271 final-year medical students at I.Horbachevsky Ternopil State Medical University, Ukraine.
• The questionnaire comprised 25 questions assessing awareness of general and specific signs of PID in children and adults.

Main Results:

• The average correct answer rate was 59.2%, with lower scores for adult PID signs (54.2%) and specific PID signs (51.7%).
• While 82.3% of students answered over 50% of questions correctly, only 7.7% achieved over 75% accuracy.
• Knowledge gaps were most pronounced regarding adult PID warning signs and specific conditions like Nijmegen breakage syndrome and common variable immunodeficiency.

Conclusions:

• A significant lack of awareness regarding primary immunodeficiencies exists among graduating medical students.
• There is a critical need to enhance medical curricula on PID, especially concerning adult manifestations and specific complex syndromes.
• Improved PID knowledge among physicians is essential for addressing low diagnosis rates in Ukraine and ensuring better patient care.