A Cross-Sectional Study about Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices among Primary Health Care Physicians in Jazan Province, Saudi Arabia, Regarding Rome IV Criteria for Diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Abstract

Background and objectives: Most individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are diagnosed by primary health care (PHC) physicians. However, a significant percentage of patients remain undiagnosed or misdiagnosed owing to the lack of knowledge or a systematic strategy regarding the use of ROME IV criteria for the diagnosis of IBS. Thus, in this study, we aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices among primary health care physicians in Jazan Province, Saudi Arabia, regarding ROME IV criteria for the diagnosis of IBS. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a pretested self-administered questionnaire that determines participants’ sociodemographic data and measures knowledge about ROME IV criteria, targeting PHC physicians in Jazan Province, Saudi Arabia. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) v.23. Results: We included 200 participants, and the majority of participants in our study (approximately 78%) were aware of the ROME IV diagnostic criteria for IBS; this awareness was associated with age, nationality, specialty, and classification. The participants’ mean level of knowledge was 4.30 (out of 6). However, knowledge was higher among Saudi and family medicine doctors in this study, as compared to non-Saudi and doctors of other specialties. More than two-thirds of participants who were aware of ROME IV criteria thought that they are sufficient to diagnose IBS; however, only 47.5% of physicians reported using ROME IV frequently in their daily practice. Conclusions: Most of the participants of this study are aware of ROME IV criteria, and better knowledge was noted among Saudi and family medicine physicians. About 70% thought that ROME IV criteria are effective enough to diagnose IBS, and only about half of the participants use ROME IV criteria in their practice. Therefore, due to its high prevalence in the region, further efforts are required to disseminate basic knowledge and improve attitudes and practices related to ROME IV criteria among PHC physicians of all specialties.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Regarding the Rome IV Criteria for the Diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Among Primary Healthcare Physicians in Saudi Arabia

“…Participants with less than three years of experience were the most frequent (n = 312, 50.1%). The age and gender in our study were on the same line as reported in Hungin et al's study [ 21 ], and the studied general practitioners were predominant in some other studies as in Abusageah et al's study [ 8 ], which supported our findings.…”

“…Given the high prevalence of IBS in Saudi Arabia, there is limited information on doctors' attitudes and awareness of the illness [ 8 ]. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the self-reported knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to the Rome IV criteria for diagnosing IBS among PHC physicians in various regions and cities of Saudi Arabia.…”

“…The awareness level in our study was relatively high, with about two-thirds of the participants (n = 411, 66%) demonstrating awareness. In a similar study conducted in Riyadh, the awareness level was reported to be 86% [ 4 ], and in another study in Jazan, it was 78% [ 8 ]. Both of these studies showed higher awareness levels compared to our results.…”

“…The questionnaire was designed on online survey platforms and distributed to PHC physicians through random sampling interviews. The survey was modified from a previously published version [ 8 ].…”

“…Despite its usually benign prognosis, IBS can mask more severe conditions, such as colon cancer, emphasizing the need for accurate diagnosis. Diagnosing IBS is challenging due to the absence of specific biochemical or biological indicators and the individual variation in symptom presentation [ 7 , 8 ].…”