Abstract
The involvement of general practitioners in the early detection of viral hepatitis B and C must be paramount. The objectives of this work were to assess GPs’ knowledge, attitude and practice with regard to screening for viral hepatitis B and C. We carried out a cross-sectional analytical study among GPs recruited by simple random sampling from the list of GPs in the city of Brazzaville. The judgement criteria were knowledge and practice of screening for viral hepatitis B and C, assessed according to a Likert scale divided into 3 categories: very good, good and bad. One hundred and twenty-one general practitioners were included, including 48 women and 73 men, with a sex ratio of 1.52; the average age was 33 years; 52.89% of them worked in the private sector with an average period of activity of 4 years. The majority of the doctors had a good knowledge (69.42%) and a bad practice (56.20%) of screening for viral hepatitis B and C. The duration of activity was the factor linked to knowledge of viral hepatitis B and C (p = 0.006) while age was the factor linked to the practice of screening for viral hepatitis B and C (p = 0.0366). In conclusion, in Brazzaville, general practitioners’ knowledge of screening for viral hepatitis B and C is good in general, but the practices are poor and require targeted in-service training.
Highlights
Viral hepatitis B and C are cosmopolitan infections representing a real public health problem [1]
This role is performed exclusively by gastroenterologists and infectious diseases specialists in our country. It is in this context that we have conducted this study in order to evaluate the level of knowledge of general practitioners, their attitude and their practice with regard to the screening and management of viral hepatitis B and C; to investigate the factors associated with the level of knowledge and practice of screening for viral hepatitis B and C among general practitioners
Our study focused on general practitioners registered with the Medical Council, which may constitute a selection bias given that not all doctors practising in Brazzaville are registered with the Medical Council
Summary
Viral hepatitis B and C are cosmopolitan infections representing a real public health problem [1] Their most often asymptomatic carrier explains the often late diagnosis at the stage of complications such as cirrhosis and liver cancer [2] [3]. This situation implies an early diagnosis of viral hepatitis B and C For this reason, the role that general practitioners must play in the management of chronic viral hepatitis is essential. The role that general practitioners must play in the management of chronic viral hepatitis is essential This role is performed exclusively by gastroenterologists and infectious diseases specialists in our country. It is in this context that we have conducted this study in order to evaluate the level of knowledge of general practitioners, their attitude and their practice with regard to the screening and management of viral hepatitis B and C; to investigate the factors associated with the level of knowledge and practice of screening for viral hepatitis B and C among general practitioners
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