Guatemala Internal Medicine Physicians' Knowledge of Non-communicable Disease Clinical Preventive Services

Completed

• Conditions: Non-communicable Diseases

• Registration Number: NCT01515111
• Lead Sponsor: Unidad de Cirugía Cardiovascular

Brief Summary

A national cross-sectional survey was conducted to evaluate recommendations on clinical preventive services and additional information on non-communicable disease prevention. Trained surveyors interviewed interns, residents and attendings of the Internal Medicine departments of all teaching hospitals in Guatemala. Analysis compared recommendation practices within and between hospitals.

Detailed Description

A voluntary, anonymous, self-completed, cross-sectional survey was administered to all available internal medicine staff in Guatemalan teaching hospitals.

The questionnaire included: physician's demographics, work time dedicated to outpatients, knowledge of leading causes of death in Guatemala, guidelines used for non-communicable disease prevention, simulated cases asking for recommendation(s) on different preventive services for asymptomatic adults (i.e. whether they recommended them or not, appropriate frequency and starting age, preferred screening method, and availability of the service(s) at their hospital). The survey also assessed barriers faced in providing adequate services, and opinions on who should implement changes in national health care and in medical education.

The answers given by the internal medicine staff were compared with the United States Preventive Services Task Forces (USPSTF) Recommendations and Guatemalan Ministry of Health Guidelines.

Analysis compared recommendation practices within and between hospitals.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2011-04
• Primary Completion: 2011-08
• Status Verified: 2012-01
• Study Completion: 2012-01
• Study First Submitted: 2012-01-13
• Study First Submitted QC: 2012-01-18
• Last Update Submitted: 2012-01-18
• Study First Posted: 2012-01-23
• Last Update Posted: 2012-01-23

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 394

Inclusion Criteria

• All interns, internal medicine residents and attendings (including department director, unit directors and regular attendings) that are currently training or working in an Internal Medicine department in any of the ten teaching hospitals in Guatemala.

Exclusion Criteria

• Staff that is on vacations, on sick leave or suspended by any reason.

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Recommendations of clinical preventive services for non-communicable diseases.	After accepting to participate in the study, participants will be followed the time necesary to complete the structured questionnaire, an average of 1 hour.	Recommendations on eleven clinical preventive services for non-communicable diseases were evaluated considering: * Whether they recommended them or not; * Appropriate frequency and starting age; * Preferred screening method; * Availability of the service(s) at their hospital

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Barriers faced in providing adequate services.	After accepting to participate in the study, participants will be followed the time necesary to complete the structured questionnaire, an average of 1 hour.	Self-perceived barriers to provide clinical preventive services adequately.
Opinion on who should implement changes in clinical preventive services provision.	After accepting to participate in the study, participants will be followed the time necesary to complete the structured questionnaire, an average of 1 hour.	Participant's opinion on who should be responsible to implement changes in: * Chronic disease prevention in national health care; * Medical education in this field.

Trial Locations

Locations (10)

Hospital Hermano Pedro; 🇬🇹 Guatemala, Guatemala

Unidad de Cirugía Cardiovascular; 🇬🇹 Guatemala, Guatemala

Hospital Nacional Pedro Bethancourt; 🇬🇹 Antigua Guatemala, Sacatepequez, Guatemala

Hospital General San Juan de Dios; 🇬🇹 Guatemala, Guatemala

Hospital General de Enfermedad Común - IGSS; 🇬🇹 Guatemala, Guatemala

Hospital Universitario Esperanza; 🇬🇹 Guatemala, Guatemala

Hospital Regional de Occidente, San Juan de Dios; 🇬🇹 Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

Hospital Nacional de Escuintla; 🇬🇹 Escuintla, Guatemala

Hospital Roosevelt; 🇬🇹 Guatemala, Guatemala

Hospital Centro Médico Militar; 🇬🇹 Guatemala, Guatemala