Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Primary Health Care Physicians with Regard to Laryngopharyngeal Reflux in the Qassim Region of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Many physicians confuse laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPR) with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), leading to misdiagnosis of these two diseases. LPR is a common condition among the population, and physicians should be aware of it to save time, effort, resources, and money. The key objective of the study is to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of primary care physicians with respect to LPR and its management and presentation in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A quantitative observational cross-sectional study was conducted at the primary health care centers in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. The sample included willing respondents among the primary health care physicians in these health care centers. Written consent was obtained from each participant before including their data in the study. The data were tabulated and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Results: The sample consisted of 109 clinicians from different specialties. The average age of the respondents was 44.3 years (standard deviation [SD]: 9.35 years, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 35.7, 52.9) with an average experience of 12.94 years (SD: 8.58 years, 95% CI: 11.3, 14.6). Forty-six percent (46.8%) of the respondents did not agree that there is an association between sinusitis and LPR.  About (43.11%) of clinicians said that they always educate patients about LPR, compared to (24.77%) of the clinicians who said that they do not educate patients about LPR. Conclusions: Clinicians in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia have relatively good knowledge, attitudes, and practices with regard to LPR.