Investigating Awareness in Chronic Renal Failure Among Family Physicians

OBJECTIVE: The conditions underlying chronic renal failure have become epidemics in the world. The aim of this study was to reveal the degree of awareness of chronic renal failure among family physicians.

MATERIAL and METHODS: Using data collected with a structured questionnaire and considering physicians’ socio-demographic features and their education on nephrology, we evaluated physicians’ awareness of the definition, frequency and clinical features of chronic renal failure. The questionnaire was filled in by volunteering family medicine specialists (FMS), family medicine assistants (FMA) and family physicians (FP) during a family medicine meeting.

RESULTS: Out of 310 physicians, 25.2% (n=78) were FMS, 27.7% (n=86) FMA and 47.1% (n=146) FP. %35,2 of physicians (n=109) (FMS: % 62,8 (n=49), FMA: %52.3 (n=45), FP: %10.3 (n=15), p<0,05), after the graduate, have studied in Nephrology and Internal Medicine Clinic that treat renal disesases. There was no significant difference in the rate of encountering patients with chronic renal failure between the groups (80%) (p>0.05). However, less than 15% of the physicians reported that they felt competent enough to follow patients with chronic renal failure. The rate of the physicians who felt the need to refer these patients to health institutions was high. However, the Fps did not like the patient care style of internal medicine specialists and thought that patients faced financial problems to access the nephrologist.

CONCLUSION: Appropriate care and management of referrals are life-saving for patients with chronic renal failure. New strategies should be developed to increase awareness concerning chronic renal failure and the management of this condition.