Siraj Rayan A, Alrajeh Ahmed M, Alahmari Mushabbab A, Alahmadi Fahad H, Aldhahir Abdulelah M, Alqarni Abdullah A, Alqahtani Jaber S, Alghamdi Saeed M, Alanazi Turki M, Alruwaili Abdullah, Algarni Saleh S, Alghamdi Abdulrhman S, Alsindi Tawah H, Alyami Mohammed M, Alshehri Faisal A, Alshammari Talal, Alhasani Rehab, Alrashed Khalid, Sabir Nawaf E, Mesbah Ataa F
Department of Respiratory Care, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Faisal University, Hofuf, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Respiratory Therapy, College of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Bisha, Bisha, Saudi Arabia.
Ann Med. 2025 Dec;57(1):2413924. doi: 10.1080/07853890.2024.2413924. Epub 2025 Jan 28.
Cognitive impairment is a common comorbidity, yet overlooked, in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, little is known about the current practice and perceptions of physicians on recognising and managing cognitive impairment in patients with COPD in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to investigate current practices and perceptions of physicians in Saudi Arabia regarding the recognition and management of cognitive impairment in COPD patients.
An online cross-sectional questionnaire was distributed between March and October 2023 to physicians in Saudi Arabia. The collected responses were analysed using descriptive statistics.
A total of 808 physicians completed the online survey. Of whom, only 19% indicated receiving adequate training for managing cognitive impairment. Although the vast majority of physicians reported that cognitive impairment leads to underestimation of COPD severity (85%) and interferes with self-management (85%), only 11% agreed on the important role of screening. In addition, only half of the study participants aimed to identify possible cognitive impairment, with only 4% screening for cognitive impairment during patients' assessment. The overall confidence level in recognising and managing cognitive impairment was relatively low. The most common barriers contributing to the suboptimal management of cognitive impairment in COPD were poor training (62%), the absence of standardised procedures (63%) and limited knowledge (58%) about cognitive impairment in COPD.
The current practice of recognising and managing cognitive impairment in Saudi Arabia is suboptimal. This is likely to be attributed to inadequate training, the absence of standardised procedures, and limited knowledge about cognitive impairment in COPD. Healthcare systems should provide more training and implement a holistic approach to detect and manage cognitive impairment during patients' visits.
认知障碍是慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）患者中常见的合并症，但常被忽视。然而，对于沙特阿拉伯医生在识别和管理COPD患者认知障碍方面的当前实践和看法知之甚少。本研究旨在调查沙特阿拉伯医生在识别和管理COPD患者认知障碍方面的当前实践和看法。
2023年3月至10月期间，向沙特阿拉伯的医生发放了一份在线横断面调查问卷。使用描述性统计方法对收集到的回复进行分析。
共有808名医生完成了在线调查。其中，只有19%的医生表示接受过管理认知障碍的充分培训。尽管绝大多数医生报告称认知障碍会导致对COPD严重程度的低估（85%）并干扰自我管理（85%），但只有11%的医生认同筛查的重要作用。此外，只有一半的研究参与者旨在识别可能的认知障碍，在患者评估期间只有4%的医生对认知障碍进行筛查。识别和管理认知障碍的总体信心水平相对较低。导致COPD患者认知障碍管理欠佳的最常见障碍是培训不足（62%）、缺乏标准化程序（63%）以及对COPD认知障碍的知识有限（58%）。
沙特阿拉伯目前在识别和管理认知障碍方面的实践欠佳。这可能归因于培训不足、缺乏标准化程序以及对COPD认知障碍的知识有限。医疗保健系统应提供更多培训，并在患者就诊期间实施全面的方法来检测和管理认知障碍。
