Physicians' awareness of guidelines concerning diabetes mellitus in primary health care setting in Riyadh KSA

Objective: This study probed the physicians' awareness of guidelines concerning diabetes mellitus in primary care setting in Riyadh. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 15 health-care centres and in two university hospitals from May to November 2015. A self-administered questionnaire based on the American Diabetes Association's standard of care was administered to 146 family physicians, and the data were collected for further analysis. Results: As many as 71.3% of respondents were aware of the guidelines. There was a significant difference between physicians' opinion regarding blood glucose levels to confirm diagnosis in patients without symptoms (odds ratio = 2.500; 95% confidence interval 1.191-5.248). In addition, there was significant variation between physicians holding different qualifications regarding the routine investigations (odds ratio = 6.754; 95% confidence interval 1.425-32.025). Regarding diagnosis of microalbuminuria, there was significant difference between physicians who had <= 9 years of working experience and those who had >10 years (odds ratio = 2.213; 95% confidence interval 1.046-4.680) and also between different positions (residents and those with post qualification; registrars, senior registrars and consultants) (odds ratio = 2.514; 95% confidence interval 1.185-5.333). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that family physicians were not fully aware of the latest guidelines about diabetes mellitus. This lack of knowledge may result in less adherence to the guidelines and might have a negative impact on quality of care.