Hofmann Konstantin, Oehler Melody, Ruckes Christian, Dionysopoulou Anna, Stewen Kathrin, Schiestl Lina Judit, Degirmenci Yaman, Theis Susanne, Skala Christine, Hasenburg Annette, Schwab Roxana
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany.
University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany.
Heliyon. 2024 Nov 19;10(22):e40431. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40431. eCollection 2024 Nov 30.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a multifactorial condition that can include a myriad of symptom complexes. A study in North America demonstrated that a significant percentage of physicians were unaware of crucial aspects of PCOS. This study aimed to examine the level of knowledge about PCOS among physicians in Germany.
An anonymous cross-sectional online questionnaire was distributed to all gynecological clinics and fertility centers in Germany. The responsible gynecologists in service were contacted and they were asked to distribute the questionnaire among the employed physicians in their clinic.
The questionnaire was completed 206 times. 92 (65.7 %) of all respondents were board-certified gynecologists without specialty training in reproductive medicine and gynecologic endocrinology (Non-RMGE), 48 (34.3 %) had completed this training (RMGE). RMGE were more likely to know the correct criteria for the diagnosis of PCOS (97.9 % vs. 51.3 %; p < 0.001) and were able to name a higher number of correct symptoms that may be associated with PCOS (20.8 vs. 14.0; p < 0.001) than Non-RMGE (B = 4.530, CI 1.379-7.680; p = 0.006). The preferred general treatments and fertility treatments for PCOS patients also differed significantly between the two groups (p = 0.002, p < 0.001). The participants were asked how doctors and healthcare professionals could be best supported to improve the care of PCOS patients. Over 58.3 % of participants considered the creation of a PCOS website dedicated to healthcare professionals to be valuable.
This study is the first to identify knowledge gaps about PCOS among physicians in Germany. The findings also highlight the potential disparities in PCOS knowledge between hospital and fertility center settings, emphasizing the need for improved training to ensure consistent and high-quality care for PCOS patients. The participants preferred a dedicated website for health professionals, indicating a demand for easily accessible information and training resources.
多囊卵巢综合征（PCOS）是一种多因素疾病，可能包括众多症状组合。北美一项研究表明，相当比例的医生并不了解PCOS的关键方面。本研究旨在调查德国医生对PCOS的了解程度。
向德国所有妇科诊所和生育中心发放了一份匿名横断面在线问卷。联系了在职的责任妇科医生，要求他们在诊所的在职医生中分发问卷。
问卷共完成206次。所有受访者中，92人（65.7%）是获得董事会认证的妇科医生，但未接受过生殖医学和妇科内分泌学的专科培训（非RMGE），48人（34.3%）完成了该培训（RMGE）。与非RMGE相比，RMGE更有可能了解PCOS诊断的正确标准（97.9%对51.3%；p<0.001），并且能够说出更多可能与PCOS相关的正确症状（20.8对14.0；p<0.001）（B=4.530，CI 1.379 - 7.680；p=0.006）。两组对于PCOS患者首选的一般治疗和生育治疗也存在显著差异（p=0.002，p<0.001）。参与者被问及如何能最好地支持医生和医疗保健专业人员改善对PCOS患者的护理。超过58.3%的参与者认为创建一个专门面向医疗保健专业人员的PCOS网站很有价值。
本研究首次发现了德国医生在PCOS知识方面的差距。研究结果还凸显了医院和生育中心环境中PCOS知识的潜在差异，强调需要改进培训，以确保为PCOS患者提供一致且高质量的护理。参与者更喜欢为健康专业人员设立的专门网站，这表明对易于获取的信息和培训资源有需求。
