Background
Early detection and management of sarcopenia in community-based primary care clinics that provide care for community-dwelling older patients are important to prevent related complications.
Methods
We analyzed nine matched items from separate surveys with 80 doctors working at community-based primary care clinics and 80 community-dwelling older patients who visited 6 of the 80 primary care clinics. Both questionnaires were self-administered and consisted of sections on sarcopenia awareness, willingness to treat sarcopenia, and demand for management methods.
Results
28 patients (35.4%) reported having heard about sarcopenia. Only 19 physicians (23.8%) responded that they knew the diagnostic criteria of sarcopenia. The proportion of patients who believed that they had sarcopenia was higher than that of patients with sarcopenia assumed by the doctors (patients, 35%; doctors, 16.9%; P = 0.0039). Patients desired more frequent and extensive exercise and nutritional education than doctors. More patients preferred receiving regular text messages than doctors (for exercise: patients 16.5%, doctors 5.8%, P = 0.0428; for nutrition: patients 17.1%, doctors 4.4%, P = 0.0154). More patients than doctors did not know what community services were available for managing sarcopenia (patients 48.8%, doctors 10.0%, P < 0.001).
Conclusion
Both patients and doctors at community-based primary care clinics were poorly informed about sarcopenia. The preference for exercise and nutritional education showed significant differences between patients and doctors. These results will be beneficial for developing programs to manage sarcopenia in community-based primary care clinics.