Cardiovasc Imaging Asia.  2021 Oct;5(4):152-159. 10.22468/cvia.2021.00304.

Knowledge and Attitudes Amongst Internal Medicine Clinicians in Referring Valvular Heart Disease Patients: A Survey Study

• Raja Shariff REF
• Ibrahim KS
• Zainal Abidin HA
• Kasim S

• KMID: 2522191
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.22468/cvia.2021.00304

Abstract

Objective
Little is known regarding the levels of knowledge and attitudes amongst non-cardiology clinicians in managing valvular heart diseasel (VHD).
Materials and Methods
To determine the knowledge and attitudes towards management of VHD patients amongst internal medicine clinicians in Malaysia. We conducted a 20-item survey study, distributed amongst internal medicine clinicians.
Results
A total of 75 responses was obtained. Respondents included medical officers (50.7%), consultants (32.0%), and pre-consultant specialist (17.3%). Respondents were comfortable using online resources from both formal (94.7%) and informal (74.7%) sources. A large proportion felt that they had ‘insufficient’ or ‘very insufficient’ knowledge and experience managing VHD patients (36.0%), and less than half felt that management of VHD patients within their institutions was ‘adequate’ or ‘very adequate’ (49.4%). Although many were felt to be overzealous with echocardiography monitoring in mild VHD (55.9% felt that it was required within 2 years), nevertheless attitudes regarding referrals to cardiology services for consult and intervention were felt to be appropriate.
Conclusion
The survey highlights the need for education amongst internal medicine clinician to tackle both the overzealous attitude in monitoring patients with mild valvular disease on one extreme and in improving early referrals for VHD indicated for intervention on the other.

Keyword

Valvular heart diseases; Survey and questionnaire; Physicians; Internal medicine