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.
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