Awareness, knowledge and training gaps on asbestos among General Practitioners
Vol. 62 No. 2 (2021), Occupational Medicine and Hygiene
Vol. 62 No. 2 (2021)

Awareness, knowledge and training gaps on asbestos among General Practitioners: Awareness and knowledge on asbestos exposure risk

Occupational Medicine and Hygiene
https://doi.org/10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2021.62.2.1797
Published 2021-07-30
Giancarlo Ripabelli
Department of Medicine and Health Sciences "Vincenzo Tiberio", University of Molise, Italy
Angelo Salzo
Michela Lucia Sammarco
Manuela Tamburro
pdf

Keywords

Asbestos exposure; central Italy; continuing medicine education; general practitioners; occupational diseases

Abstract

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 GPs practicing in Molise region, central Italy, who anonymously completed a 29-items questionnaire developed for this study on the perceived risk and comprehension of the exposure effects and own rules. Based on GPs’ answers, we classified awareness and knowledge into four quartile classes from inadequate (0-24%), poor (25-49%), moderate (50-74%) and high (75-100%). 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 majority (65% and 42%) showing an adequate level. Our survey revealed a satisfactory perception and knowledge of general features of this topic, while a poor awareness of detailed aspects emerged, 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.

https://doi.org/10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2021.62.2.1797
pdf

References

[1] Buresti G, Colonna F, Corfiati M, Valenti A, Persechino B, Marinaccio A, Rondinone BM, Iavicoli S. Economic impact of malignant mesothelioma in Italy: an estimate of the public and social costs. Med Lav 2017;108:358–66. DOI: 10.23749/mdl.v108i5.6505.
[2] Nielsen LS, Bælum J, Rasmussen J, Dahl S, Olsen KE, Albin M, Hansen NC, Sherson D. Occupational asbestos exposure and lung cancer--a systematic review of the literature. Arch Environ Occup Health 2014;69:191–206. doi: 10.1080/19338244.2013.863752.
[3] Xu R, Barg FK, Emmett EA, Wiebe DJ, Hwang W-T. Association between mesothelioma and non-occupational asbestos exposure: systematic review and meta-analysis. Environ Health 2018;17:90. doi: 10.1186/s12940-018-0431-9.
[4] International Agency for Research on Cancer. List of Classifications by cancer sites with sufficient or limited evidence in humans, Volumes 1 to 127. 2017. Available at: https://monographs.iarc.fr/agents-classified-by-the-iarc/. Accessed on 01/08/2020.
[5] Comba P, Fazzo L. Mortalità per mesotelioma pleurico in Italia, 2003-2014. In: Rapporti ISTISAN 17/37. 2017.
[6] Quaderni del Ministero della Salute, n. 15 maggio-giugno 2012. Stato dell'arte e prospettive in materia di contrasto alle patologie asbesto-correlate. Available at: www.quadernidellasalute.it/portale/quaderni/dettaglioQuaderni.jsp?id=2570. Accessed on 02/08/2020].
[7] Ripabelli G, Tamburro M, Di Tella D, Carrozza F, Sammarco ML. Asbestos exposures, mesothelioma incidence and mortality, and awareness by general practitioners in the Molise region, central Italy. J Occup Environ Med 2018;60(2):90–7. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001211.
[8] Metintas S, Ak G, Yilmaz S, Bogar F, Metintas M. Validity and reliability of asbestos knowledge and awareness questionnaire for environmental asbestos exposure in rural areas. Eurasian J Pulmonol 2017;19:34–40. DOI: 10.5152/ejp.2016.57441
[9] Arnaud S, Cabut S, Viau A, Souville M, Verger P. Different reporting patterns for occupational diseases among physicians: a study of French general practitioners, pulmonologists and rheumatologists. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2009;83(3):251–8. doi: 10.1007/s00420-009-0457-y.
[10] Verger P, Ménard C, Richard J-B, Demortière G, Beck F. Collaboration between general practitioners and occupational physicians. J Occup Environ Med 2014;56(2):209–93. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000087.
[11] Gruppo di lavoro ReNaM. Il registro nazionale dei mesoteliomi - VI rapporto. Ed. INAIL. 2018.
[12] Goswami E, Craven V, Dahlstrom D, Alexander D, Mowat F. Domestic asbestos exposure: a review of epidemiologic and exposure data. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2013;10(11):5629–70. doi: 10.3390/ijerph10115629
[13] Cooke G, Valenti L, Glasziou P, Britt H. Common general practice presentations and publication frequency. Aust Fam Physician 2013;42(1-2):65–68.
[14] Morgan DR. The general practitioners’ view. Occup Med (Lond) 1999;49(8):403–5.
[15] Weevers H-JA. Work-related disease in general practice: a systematic review. Fam Pract 2005; 22(2):197–04. doi: 10.1093/fampra/cmh727.
[16] Persechino B, Fontana L, Buresti G, Rondinone BM, Laurano P, Fortuna G, Valenti A, Iavicoli S. Collaboration of occupational physicians with national health system and general practitioners in Italy. Ind Health 2017;55(2):180–91.
[17] Moßhammer D, Michaelis M, Mehne J, Wilm S, Rieger MA. General practitioners’ and occupational health physicians’ views on their cooperation: a cross-sectional postal survey. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2015;89(3):449–59. doi: 10.1007/s00420-015-1084-4.