Does Guideline Knowledge Affect Treatment Compliance Among Emergency Doctors?

Abstract Background The insufficient adoption of internationally accepted clinical guidelines may lead to less than adequate patient care of patients with asthma. Objective To evaluate the knowledge and treatment compliance with Global Initiative of Asthma (GINA, 2011) asthma treatment guidelines among emergency physicians (EPs) at a referral hospital in northern Malaysia. Methods A cross-sectional study was designed in the territory-level referral hospital in northern Malaysia. Twenty-seven EPs were asked to complete an asthma guideline questionnaire to assess their knowledge regarding GINA 2011 asthma treatment guidelines. A total of 810 patients were enrolled, and 30 patients were selected per physician. The authors evaluated the physicians’ compliance with GINA 2011 asthma treatment guidelines. Results Of 27 EPs, 20 (74.1%) had adequate knowledge of GINA 2011 asthma treatment guidelines. A total of 615 (75.9%) patients received guideline-recommended emergency treatment. Shortness of breath (n = 436, 53.8%) was the most frequently reported chief complaint. Furthermore, there was a significant but weak association between knowledge of the guideline and treatment compliance among emergency doctors ( P = 0.003, φ = 0.110). Moreover, there was no significant change in therapy for patients with comorbid conditions. The mean age of respondents was 27.3 years. Conclusions Overall, a fair level of guideline knowledge and treatment compliance was noted among EPs. Doctors with adequate guideline knowledge were more likely to comply with GINA 2011 asthma treatment guidelines.