Knowledge and practice of primary healthcare physicians for management of acne vulgaris in Qassim region, Saudi Arabia

Background The management of acne in its early stages is important for disease prognosis. Patients with acne usually present at the primary healthcare (PHC) centers during the early stages of their disease. Assessment of the current knowledge and practice of the physicians treating these patients is required. Objective The aim of our study was to assess the knowledge and practice of physicians working at PHC centers in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia on the management of acne vulgaris. Subjects and methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 142 physicians working at PHC centers of the Qassim province, Saudi Arabia. Physicians were asked to answer a pretested specially-designed questionnaire on the management of acne vulgaris that comprised questions evaluating the knowledge on disease causes, aggravating or relieving factors, and treatment practices. Results This survey revealed that physicians working at PHC centers had inadequate knowledge on disease management; 38.7% of doctors had a low level of knowledge, whereas only 11.3% had a high level of knowledge. Participating physicians indicated that the main causes of acne are (a) hormonal factors (58.5%), (b) infections (16.9%), and (c) genetic abnormalities (12%). Lack of sufficient knowledge of physicians reflected on their treatment practices; only one-third of them independently dealt with acne cases without referral, and 23.9% referred the cases without medication. Physicians with a low level of knowledge showed six times more referrals than those with a high level of knowledge (P < 0.001; odds ratio: 6.0). Conclusion and recommendations This study revealed that physicians practicing at PHC centers have inadequate knowledge and practice for management of acne. Steps should be taken to improve and update the dermatological knowledge of physicians working at PHC centers. Lectures, workshops, and other training activities should be arranged for them by dermatologists with expertise in acne. Further studies are required to analyze the current situation of practice for other common dermatological disorders.