The evaluation of family physicians’ knowledge attitude and behaviours towards periodic examination guidelines

Abstract

Although the causes of mortality and morbidity vary among countries, geographies, cultures and races, today the disease structure has been differentiated and in the 21st century the first order received noncommunicable diseases. In non-communicable disease protection primary protection is 4 times more effective than secondary and tertiary protection. The basis of primary prevention is the periodic health examinations, mainly immunization and counseling. In this context, one of the most important methods recommended for the implementation of preventive health services is periodical health examinations with standards set by various national and international organizations. Periodic health checkup is defined as regular health check-up in order to contribute to the preservation of health through healthy screening, examination and laboratory testing, counseling and health education of healthy persons who are not yet showing signs of illness. In primary prevention measures, it is emphasized that the role of service providing units is very important. With this research, it is aimed that the knowledge, attitude and behaviours of family physicians providing primary healthcare service throughout the country towards “Periodic Health and/or Physical Examinations and Healthcare Screening Guidelines Proposed in the Family Medicine Practice”, which is advisory, are defined. The questionnaire formulated on the basis of the recommended screening guide in Turkey was uploaded online on the Family Medicine Distance Learning Platform (in Tr. abbr. AHUZEM) and 20,518 registered family physicians in AHUZEM were asked to respond to the form. The family physician responded to the questionnaire on AHUEM for 23 days from 2014 to 13 February 2014 for 20 days. At the end of the study, general knowledge average of family physicians was calculated as 3,28, attitude average of 3,47 and behavior average of 2,65. In addition, it was evaluated that family physicians› knowledge concerning the periodic health examination and health screening guidelines proposed for our country is at almost medium-level and even if the level for their attitudes is higher than their knowledge level, they do not turn on the same plane into behaviour.