ABSTRACT Are Family Physicians and Medical Students Aware of Chronic Hepatitis C Infection?

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic hepatitis C is a public health problem that can result in cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death, which can be cured with current treatments. In our study, we evaluated the level of knowledge and awareness of medical school students and family physicians about chronic hepatitis C.Materials and Methods: Our study was carried out between 01.06.2022 and 01.08.2022, between the 1st and 6th grade medical students, family physicians (family medicine residents, family medicine specialists) using an online questionnaire.Results: In our study, 536 medical faculty students and 162 family physicians were recruited. Two hundred seventy one (50.6\%) of the students were male and the median age was 23.0 (2.0) years. Of the family physicians, 84 (51.2\%) were male, the median age was 30 (24-68) years and the median time in the profession was 14.5 (1-40) years. Students answered 69.2\% of the questions correctly, and family physicians answered 73\% correctly. While the students knew the transmission routes of hepatitis C mostly (97.2\%), they got the less information about the testing (34.9\%) and treatment (21.9\%). Family physicians answered the questions about the transmission routes of hepatitis C with a high rate (99.4\%), and the questions about the groups that should be tested (28\%) and the questions about the treatment of hepatitis C less correctly (29.4\%). In the multivariate analysis, the factors affecting the median knowledge score of the students were male gender (p= 0.019), the student's class (p= 0.002), having Infectious diseases and clinical microbiology committee (p= 0.005) and gastroenterology committee (p= 0.027). The only factor affecting the median knowledge score of family physicians was the use of online presentations by experts in their fields as a source of information (p= 0.003). 67\% of the students and 87.2\% of the family physicians answered the question ``How do you manage the person when the anti-HCV screening test is positive? `` as ``I will refer the patient to the infectious diseases and clinical microbiology or gastroenterology ``.Conclusion: In our study, it was found that awareness of screening and treatment was low in both groups. Considering that the main factors related to the level of knowledge of medical students are having committee of the gastroenterology and infectious diseases and clinical microbiology, and online presentations of experienced teachers in family physicians, preparing a special content for these groups may be useful in raising awareness and level of knowledge.