Gastroenterology and Obesity Clinic, Medica Sur Clinic and Foundation, C.P. 14050, Mexico City, Mexico.
Internal Medicine Department, Medica Sur Clinic and Foundation, C.P. 14050, Mexico City, Mexico.
Sci Rep. 2021 Jun 8;11(1):12100. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-91199-y.
The registered incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in primary healthcare centers is lower than expected, suggesting a lack of awareness by primary care healthcare professionals. The implementation of educational tools for healthcare workers has been found to increase timely referral and treatment of patients. We aimed to determine healthcare workers' knowledge of NAFLD to identify their educational needs in one marginalized region. We performed a cross-sectional survey of 261 healthcare professionals in Tlapa de Comonfort, Guerrero, Mexico from October 2019 to December 2019. We created a questionnaire that assessed domains most relevant to NAFLD knowledge. Two hundred and forty-six questionnaires were completed. Of the respondents, 38.3% were nurses and 63.4% were women. Most nurses identified NAFLD as a prevalent (89%) and preventable (93%) disease. Hypertension (33%) and obesity (84%) were recognized as risk factors. The associations between NAFLD and cancer, cirrhosis and cardiovascular disease were identified by 53%, 67% and 72% of respondents, respectively. The largest gaps were found in diagnostic workup, therapeutic approach and the current treatments. We identify modifiable knowledge gaps in NAFLD. Educational strategies for primary care workers could enhance the identification of patients with NAFLD and prevent complications.
基层医疗中心登记的非酒精性脂肪性肝病（NAFLD）发病率低于预期，表明基层医疗保健专业人员对此认识不足。已经发现，为医疗保健工作者实施教育工具可以增加及时转诊和治疗患者的机会。我们旨在确定医疗保健工作者对 NAFLD 的了解程度，以确定在一个边缘化地区的教育需求。我们于 2019 年 10 月至 12 月在墨西哥格雷罗州特兰帕德科蒙福特对 261 名医疗保健专业人员进行了横断面调查。我们创建了一个评估与 NAFLD 知识最相关领域的问卷。完成了 246 份问卷。在回答者中，38.3%是护士，63.4%是女性。大多数护士认为 NAFLD 是一种普遍（89%）和可预防（93%）的疾病。高血压（33%）和肥胖症（84%）被认为是危险因素。分别有 53%、67%和 72%的受访者识别出 NAFLD 与癌症、肝硬化和心血管疾病之间的关联。在诊断检查、治疗方法和当前治疗方面发现了最大的差距。我们确定了在 NAFLD 方面可纠正的知识差距。针对初级保健工作者的教育策略可以提高对 NAFLD 患者的识别能力，并预防并发症。
