Alsaati Ahmed Abdulaziz, Albejais Reem Abdullah, Aldawish Rahaf Faisal, Alali Kawthar Hassan, Khalil Samia Talal Abdullah, Alhajji Sajjad Ibrahim, Mleeh Nouf Talal A, Alghanemi Logain
Department of Internal Medicine, Jubail General Hospital, Jubail, SAU.
Department of Internal Medicine, Prince Saud Bin Jalawy Hospital, Al-Ahsa Health Cluster, Al-Ahsa, SAU.
Cureus. 2025 Mar 27;17(3):e81276. doi: 10.7759/cureus.81276. eCollection 2025 Mar.
Background Primary care physicians (PCPs) should have adequate skills to manage common skin conditions, such as eczema, psoriasis, and vitiligo, and reduce the rate of referrals to dermatologists. Objective The aim of this study was to assess PCPs' knowledge in diagnosing and managing common dermatological conditions. Methods This cross-sectional survey study involved PCPs in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire consisted of three sections: demographic information, case scenarios, and questions assessing the ability to manage skin conditions. Knowledge scores were calculated by assigning one point for each correct answer. Participants rated their perceived ability on a Likert scale, ranging from 1 (totally disagree) to 5 (totally agree). Results Diagnostic accuracy was generally high, with between 61.5% and 89.8% of respondents correctly identifying the presented cases. However, only about 50% had effective knowledge of tinea corporis, seborrheic keratosis, acute urticaria, and tinea capitis. Higher knowledge levels correlated with older age (p<0.001), being a consultant or specialist (p<0.001), and working in primary healthcare (p<0.001). While 63.2% felt confident in managing common skin conditions, this confidence correlated weakly with overall knowledge (rho = 0.261, p = 0.002). Additionally, over 90% of PCPs agreed to refer difficult cases. Conclusions The knowledge of PCPs in the management of common skin conditions showed several serious deficiencies, leading to unnecessary referrals to dermatologists. There is a need for specific dermatology training programs for PCPs. Dermatology courses in medical school curricula should focus on preparing students to manage common skin conditions.
背景 基层医疗医生（PCP）应具备足够的技能来管理常见的皮肤疾病，如湿疹、银屑病和白癜风，并降低转诊至皮肤科医生的比例。目的 本研究旨在评估基层医疗医生在诊断和管理常见皮肤病方面的知识水平。方法 这项横断面调查研究涉及沙特阿拉伯的基层医疗医生。问卷由三个部分组成：人口统计学信息、病例场景以及评估皮肤疾病管理能力的问题。通过为每个正确答案赋予一分来计算知识得分。参与者用李克特量表对他们的感知能力进行评分，范围从1（完全不同意）到5（完全同意）。结果 诊断准确性总体较高，61.5%至89.8%的受访者正确识别了所呈现的病例。然而，只有约50%的人对体癣、脂溢性角化病、急性荨麻疹和头癣有有效的认识。较高的知识水平与年龄较大（p<0.001）、担任顾问或专家（p<0.001）以及在基层医疗工作（p<0.001）相关。虽然63.2%的人对管理常见皮肤疾病有信心，但这种信心与总体知识的相关性较弱（rho = 0.261，p = 0.002）。此外，超过90%的基层医疗医生同意转诊疑难病例。结论 基层医疗医生在管理常见皮肤疾病方面的知识存在一些严重不足，导致不必要地转诊至皮肤科医生。需要为基层医疗医生开展特定的皮肤科培训项目。医学院课程中的皮肤科课程应侧重于培养学生管理常见皮肤疾病的能力。
