Physicians’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in Gout Management: A Cross-sectional Study at Soba Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Background: Gout is a disease caused by an overload of uric acid in the body, which leads to the formation of urate crystals that deposit in tissues, particularly in the joints. The deposition of these crystals causes recurring episodes of joint inflammation. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of physicians in the Department of Medicine at Soba Teaching Hospital regarding gout management. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess physicians' KAP related to gout management. A structured and validated questionnaire was developed, and a total of 67 physicians participated in the study. Descriptive statistics were used for demographic characteristics, inferential statistics was used to identify the relationship between KAP scores with and physician-related factors. Results: Among the 67 respondents, 50.4% were registrars, 37.2% were house officers, and 12% were consultants. Most respondents (61.2%) had less than five years of work experience, and 86.6% reported seeing patients with active gout monthly. Overall, 69% of physicians demonstrated poor knowledge of gout management. Consultants and physicians with more than five years of experience scored higher in knowledge, with statistically significant differences (p = 0.001 and p = 0.016, respectively). Regarding attitudes, 91% of respondents believed that gout is a disease that can significantly impact quality of life, and 74.8% thought that gout is a lifelong condition. Furthermore, 51% of respondents had poor practice scores. Consultants and physicians with over five years of experience also had higher practice scores, with p-values of 0.036 and 0.048, respectively. No significant association was found between knowledge and practice scores. Conclusion: The results indicate that physicians have below-average knowledge of gout management, particularly in the context of renal disease and prophylactic treatment. Additionally, 51% of the respondents demonstrated poor practice regarding gout management, and there was no significant association between knowledge and practice scores. However, physicians exhibited a positive attitude toward gout management.