Objective: To evaluate the basic knowledge of asthma, the standardization of treatment and the continuing education with community physicians in Hangzhou.
Methods: The survey investigated a total of 45 community health service centers in Hangzhou, and 2 - 4 western medicine physicians were randomly selected from each centre. A questionnaire was completed by totally 114 doctors under investigation.
Results: Eighty-seven percent of the physicians believed asthma was an airway inflammatory disease. Sixty-nine percent chose inhaled glucocorticoids as daily first-line drug for persistent asthma and 55% had read asthma guidelines. However, only 24% had ever heard China Asthma Alliance (CAA) and only 6% had visited its website. Moreover, no one under investigation had participated in the CAA organized talks popularizing the standardization of asthma treatment. Over the past year, 55% of the respondents did not participate in any asthma-related meetings or seminars. Ninety-six percent of those surveyed expressed the hope that higher-level hospital doctors would come to the community hospital for asthma-related seminars. Among the 45 community health service centers, only 2 collected part of the registration data for asthma patients and only one conducted health education seminars for asthma patients during the past year.
Conclusion: Community physicians need to be provided more continuing education opportunities in order for them to provide standard asthma treatment for patients.