Improving Sarcopenia Diagnosis and Management Through Training in a Cohort of Portuguese Physicians
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24950/rspmi.2708Keywords:
Aged, Geriatric Assessment, Health Care Surveys, SarcopeniaAbstract
Introduction: Although sarcopenia has been formally recognized in the World Health Organization International Classification of Diseases, it is still underdiagnosed and undertreated in clinical practice. This study aimed to assess the current knowledge and management of sarcopenia in a cohort of Portuguese physicians and the effectiveness of a training session on sarcopenia diagnosis and treatment.
Methods: This longitudinal study included Portuguese physicians (n = 31) who completed a questionnaire on knowledge, practice, and barriers regarding sarcopenia screening, diagnosis, and treatment before, immediately after (n = 29), and three months after (n = 27) attending an interactive workshop on sarcopenia.
Results: Before, immediately after, and three months after the workshop, respectively, 66.7%, 96.6%, and 81.5% of physicians knew the definition of sarcopenia. Before the workshop, 33.3% and 44.4% reported performing, respectively, screening and diagnosis in their practice; at three months of follow-up, this number increased to 70.4%. Reported use of SARC-F as a screening tool was increased (22.2% before vs 78.9% after three months). However, the reported use of diagnostic tools to assess muscle strength (i.e., handgrip strength [21.1%] and chair stand test [31.6%]) was low at follow-up. Nutritional intervention focusing on protein intake (87.0%) and resistance exercise (60.9%) were the main treatment strategies reported at three months. Respectively, 68.4% and 82.6% reported barriers to sarcopenia screening/diagnosis and treatment; lack of awareness or knowledge from other healthcare professionals (84.6%) and lack of reimbursement of the cost of oral nutritional supplements (89.5%) were the main barriers experienced.
Conclusion: After the educational event, knowledge on the basic principles of clinical management of sarcopenia improved. Nevertheless, physicians recognize important constraints in sarcopenia diagnosis and treatment in daily clinical practice after three months. Although the workshop effectively raised awareness of sarcopenia, knowledge retention over time remains a challenge.
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