Survey on the general practitioners’ awareness of the problems of the intestinal parasitoses

Abstract

Introduction: In the outpatient care, laboratory testing for intestinal parasites (on the clinical, epidemiological or prophylactic ground) are assigned mainly by the general practitioners. The aim of the current study is to analyze the opinion of GPs on the frequency and distribution of the intestinal parasitosis in Varna region and to evaluate their awareness of the problems associated with their diagnosis and treatment. Material and Methods: Between Sept and Dec 2016, 75 general practitioners from Varna region were interviewed with specially designed individual anonymous questionnaires. Results and Discussion: 66.67% of the respondents attend to patients from Varna and the other towns of the district and the remaining portion represent practices in rural regions. We found significant differences between these two groups regarding the number of treated patients, the range of clinical symptoms requiring testing, the amount of performed tests for intestinal parasites, on both prophylactic and clinical indications and in children and adults. As a recommendation for the improvement of the prevention of intestinal parasitosis the surveyed GPs indicated the necessity to ameliorate the socio-economic status of their patients. The identified problems requiring practical solution were the partial or complete lack of antiparasitic agents in the pharmacy network and the limitation of the number of the attainable test due to the restricted finances. Conclusion: The analysis of the survey showed an alarming tendency that GPs ignore and/or underestimate the problems of intestinal parasitoses - the variety of the causative agents, clinical manifestation of the diseases, their regional epidemiology, the treatment regiments which adversely affects the preventive, diagnostic, dispensary and control measures they themselves ought to implement.