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

Our plain-English summary of Awareness, knowledge and training gaps regarding asbestos among General Practitioners: a pilot study, by G. Ripabelli, A. Salzo, M.L. Sammarco, et al (Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene, 2021).

The study

• Authors: G. Ripabelli, A. Salzo, M.L. Sammarco, M. Tamburro
• Journal: Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene
• Published: 2021;62(2):E539-E543
• Cited by: 2 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

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 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.

©2021 Pacini Editore SRL, Pisa, Italy.

In plain English

This cross-sectional pilot survey studied general practitioners (family doctors) in the Molise region of central Italy. Thirty doctors were asked to complete an anonymous 29-item questionnaire on asbestos risk and asbestos-related diseases, and 28 did (median age 63 years, 82% male). The study did not measure anyone's asbestos exposure. Of the doctors, 46% recognised living with an asbestos-exposed worker as a risk factor for mesothelioma. 39% felt their knowledge was adequate to answer patients' questions, and 14% rated regional continuing medical education on the topic as appropriate. The question on mesothelioma's latency period (the time before the disease appears) had the lowest knowledge score. Nearly all linked pleural mesothelioma (27 of 28) and pulmonary asbestosis (26 of 28) to asbestos, but only 12 of 28 linked peritoneal mesothelioma. Awareness and knowledge scores showed no significant link with age, gender, graduation year or specialisation. The authors concluded that the doctors knew general aspects of asbestos well but specific items less well, which supports the need to update their education.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Cross-sectional pilot questionnaire survey
• Who was studied: General practitioners in the Molise region, central Italy. 30 were approached and 28 were analysed after two incomplete questionnaires were discarded (response rate 93.3%). Median age was 63 years and 82% were male.
• Exposure: No asbestos exposure was studied. The study assessed GPs' perception and knowledge of asbestos risk and asbestos-related diseases using a 29-item questionnaire in three parts. No fiber types are named.
• Main results:
  • 2 of the 30 questionnaires were discarded as incomplete (response rate 93.3%).
  • 46% of GPs (13 of 28 in Table I) recognised secondary or familial exposure from living with exposed workers as a risk factor for mesothelioma.
  • 39% of GPs considered their knowledge on asbestos adequate for answering patients' questions.
  • 14% of GPs considered the quality of regional continuing medical education on the topic appropriate.
  • Perception scores among the GPs ranged from 62% to 84% (median 71%). A high level of perception (score 120 to 160) was found for only 35%.
  • Knowledge scores ranged from 18% to 42%, with a median printed as 53%. 42% reached the 50 to 74% score level and 17% reached the optimal 75 to 100% level.
  • The question on the latency period of mesothelioma had the lowest knowledge score, followed by the question on radiological signs of asbestosis.
  • Asbestos-related diseases other than pulmonary asbestosis and pleural mesothelioma were less often linked to asbestos exposure by the GPs.
  • 27 of 28 GPs (96.4%) identified pleural mesothelioma as associated with asbestos exposure.
  • 12 of 28 GPs (42.9%) identified peritoneal mesothelioma as associated with asbestos exposure.
  • The awareness and knowledge scores were not significantly associated with age, gender, year of graduation or having a medical specialization (p greater than 0.05).
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that the GPs had high perception and knowledge of general aspects of asbestos but limited understanding of specific items, which supports the need to update education and strategies to raise their awareness.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The authors described this as a pilot study meant to test methods for a larger, more rigorous and confirmatory investigation.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Asbestosis.

Related studies

• Asbestos Exposures, Mesothelioma Incidence and Mortality, and Awareness by General Practitioners in the Molise Region, Central Italy — G. Ripabelli, M. Tamburro, et al. (2018)
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• The extent and influence of Asbestos Safety Awareness training among managers who had previously commissioned an asbestos survey in their workplace buildings — J. Hickey, J. Saunders, et al. (2015)
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• Government and Navy knowledge regarding health hazards of asbestos: a state of the science evaluation (1900 to 1970) — K. Franke, D. Paustenbach (2011)
• Are the knowledge of non-malignant asbestos-related diseases and lung function impairment differentially associated with psychological well-being? A cross-sectional study in formerly asbestos-exposed workers in Germany — J. Lang, M.K. Felten, et al. (2019)

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