Assessment of Family Physicians' Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Atrial Fibrillation and Oral Anticoagulants in Turkey; What Do the Survey Results Say?

OBJECTIVE
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia and is associated with a 5-fold increased risk of stroke.Family physicians (FPs) are the first points where patients apply to health services.While many surveys have been conducted in many countries to evaluate FPs on this issue, no such study has been conducted in Turkey. We aimed to uncover the level of knowledge of FPs in our country about AF.

METHOD
An online survey consisting of 38 multiple-choice questions was administered to 326 consenting physicians.The survey questioned demographic characteristics,AF diagnosis,risk factors and treatment approach, counseling, consultation possibilities and anxiety level about AF. Descriptive characteristics of the responses were analyzed.

RESULTS
235 (72.1%) of FPs had moderate or less knowledge.While there was a significant weak negative correlation between age and total knowledge score (rho=0.123, p<0.026), a significant difference was found between working status and knowledge score (p<0,001).Only 7.1% of FPs stated that they could communicate with cardiologists when they needed consultation. 81.9% tended to refer patients to a cardiologist for periprocedural management and 85.9% for minor bleeding. 86.5% of FPs stated that trainings on AF and oral anticoagulants (OACs) are absolutely necessary.

CONCLUSION
It was identified major gaps in FPs’ knowledge and skills about AF.The knowledge of FPs can be increased through trainings,website-based applications and conferences.FPs can be encouraged and made active in the management of AF.In this way, patient outcomes can be improved, costs on the health system can be reduced,and the workload of cardiologists can be shared.