The management of lactose intolerance among primary care physicians and its correlation with management by gastroenterologists: the SEPD-SEMG national survey.
OBJECTIVE
The understanding of lactose intolerance (LI) is limited in some professional settings. Sociedad Española de Patología Digestiva (SEPD) and Sociedad Española de Medicina General (SEMG) have developed a survey in order to: a) Analyze primary care physicians (PCPs) knowledge and clinical management; and b) to compare results with those of a previous survey of Spanish gastroenterologists (GEs).


METHODS
An online questionnaire was sent to SEMG members with 27 items on various issues: Demographics, occupational characteristics, outlook on LI, diagnostic tests, treatment, and follow-up. Results were compared to those from a survey of GEs.


RESULTS
A total of 456 PCPs responded, versus 477 GEs. PCPs had an older mean age and longer professional experience. Level of understanding of LI was similar, albeit a higher proportion of PCPs lacked epidemiological awareness (p < 0.01). GEs tended to consider LI a "minor" condition (71.3 vs. 40.1%; p > 0.001), and LI symptoms as overlapping those of irritable bowel syndrome (93.5 vs. 88.2%; p = 0.005), although symptoms perceived as suspicious of LI were similar in both groups. Dietary recommendations were recognized as the primary therapeutic approach.


CONCLUSIONS
This study reveals the outlook of PCPs on LI, and allows comparison with that of GEs, as a basis for the development of strategies aimed at improving LI understanding, approach and management in our setting.
Federico
F
Argüelles-Arias
Pilar
P
Rodríguez Ledo
José María
JM
Tenías
Mercedes
M
Otero
Francesc
F
Casellas
Guadalupe
G
Blay Cortés
Alfredo
A
Lucendo
José Luis
JL
Domínguez-Jiménez
Fernando
F
Carballo
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D000072102:Gastroenterologists; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007787:Lactose Intolerance / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010820:Physicians; D058007:Physicians, Primary Care; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires