title: Knowledge of chronic hepatitis C among East London primary care physicians following the Department of Health's educational campaign.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In August 2002, the Department of Health (DH) wrote to all general practitioners (GPs) in England about hepatitis C, enclosing an educational booklet.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess hepatitis C knowledge among East London GPs in June 2003.
  
  
  METHODS
  Postal questionnaire and face-to-face interviews.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire was mailed to 250 (South-East) and 600 (North-East) London GPs, with reminders where needed. We randomly selected 10 GPs for face-to-face standardized interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall questionnaire response was 56% (South-East) and 57% (North-East), with little difference between the groups. Some 86% knew that hepatitis C was common in people who inject drugs, and that its prevalence was higher than HIV. However, 14% believed that antibodies to the virus indicated that the patient no longer had active disease. Some 49% thought that materno-fetal transmission was common, and 50% believed that blood transfusion in the 1990s carried a high risk of infection. Only 23% knew that 20% of patients develop cirrhosis after 20 years, and only 58% were aware that therapy was effective in > 50% of cases. Responses among the interviewed GPs were similar.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge of hepatitis C among GPs remains poor. Every GP surveyed wished to be better informed. We hope the DH will produce and audit further educational campaigns.
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Group, Barts and The London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK.
authors.forename: R F C
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: D'Souza
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Glynn
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alstead
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Osonayo
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Foster
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000379:methods; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008131:London; D010174:Pamphlets; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000193:education*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires