Published online Nov 22, 2022. doi: 10.4291/wjgp.v13.i6.178
Peer-review started: August 17, 2022
First decision: September 8, 2022
Revised: September 22, 2022
Accepted: November 22, 2022
Article in press: November 22, 2022
Published online: November 22, 2022
Processing time: 99 Days and 21.1 Hours
Celiac disease (CD) is a systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by a combination of various degrees of small bowel damage and diverse clinical manifestations triggered by gluten ingestion in people who are genetically vulnerable. It is one of the most prevalent chronic disorders. The clinical manifestations of CD are diverse and may present with gastrointestinal findings, extra-intestinal findings or no symptoms. Up to 95% of patients with CD remain undiagnosed. As most cases have atypical signs or no symptoms, the diagnosis of CD is either missed or delayed. In addition, one of the most important reasons for the delay in diagnosis may be the poor knowledge of healthcare professionals (HCPs) on CD.
There are limited studies investigating the knowledge on CD among HCPs, patients and their caregivers. To our knowledge, there are no studies on this issue in Turkey. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the knowledge on CD among HCPs, patients and their caregivers.
To evaluate the knowledge on CD among HCPs, patients and their caregivers.
The current study was carried out between June 2021 and February 2022 prospectively, as part of the Focus IN CD project. Patients with CD and their caregivers participated in the study from 6 different cities in Turkey. In addition, general practitioners, pediatricians, pediatricians with other subspecialities and pediatric gastroenterologists from different cities participated in the study.
The questionnaire was completed by 348 HCPs, 34 patients with CD, 102 mothers and 34 fathers of patients with CD. Most of the participants were general practitioners (37.07%). There were 89 (25.57%) pediatricians and 72 (20.69%) pediatric gastroenterologists in the study. The highest score in all categories was achieved by pediatric gastroenterologists. There were significant differences between the four groups of HCPs in terms of the subsections on overall mean score, epidemiology and clinical presentation, treatment and follow-up. There was no significant difference between the groups (patients with CD, mothers of patients with CD and fathers of patients with CD) in terms of the questionnaire subsections.
The level of knowledge on CD among HCPs, patients and their caregivers was unsatisfactory. We consider that it is necessary to increase awareness and to develop e-learning activities on CD among HCPs, patients and their caregivers. They may benefit from e-learning programs similar to the one created as part of the EU-funded project Focus IN CD (https://www.celiacfacts.eu/focusincd-en). A higher level of knowledge will substantially reduce the number of undiagnosed patients, allow for earlier diagnosis, and improve the quality of life.
According to the current study, we believe that patients, their caregivers, and HCPs may benefit from e-learning programs similar to the one created as part of the EU-funded project Focus IN CD (https://www.celiacfacts.eu/focusincd-en).