Awareness, knowledge and training gaps regarding asbestos among General Practitioners: a pilot study

General Practitioners (GPs) have good knowledge of health status and sociocultural backgrounds of their patients, thus could be decisive in early detection of cases of asbestos-related diseases (ARDs). In this cross-sectional pilot study, we investigated perception and knowledge on asbestos risk amongst a sample of GPs practicing in Molise region, central Italy, who have anonymously completed a 29-items questionnaire specifically developed for this research. Based on GPs' answers, we obtained scores and classified awareness and knowledge into four percentage quartile classes including inadequate (0-24%), poor (25-49%), moderate (50-74%) and high (75-100%), and scarce (0-24%), sufficient (25-49%), good (50-74%) and optimal (75-100%), respectively. Twenty-eight GPs (median age 63 years; 82% male) participated. Perception and knowledge among participants varied from 62 to 84% and from 18 to 42%, respectively, with 65 and 42% showing an adequate level, respectively. Our survey revealed a satisfactory perception and knowledge of general features about this topic, while a poor awareness of detailed aspects, underlining the need of continuing medical education in the field of occupational medicine. The study remarks that criteria for ARDs diagnosis should be better specified, introducing a detailed list to harmonize medical protocols for symptoms identification and patients' examination. Hence, increasing awareness of asbestos risk and ARDs among GPs represents a crucial opportunity, because of their prominent position to promptly take care of patients and provide targeted information.