8234376 Assessing pulmonologists’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices in screening for occupational interstitial lung disease

<h3>Objective</h3> Evaluating pulmonologists’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices in diagnosing occupational interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) and identify barriers to effective screening and referral. <h3>Material and Methods</h3> Descriptive cross-sectional study conducted from December 2024 to April 2025 using an anonymous online questionnaire via Google Forms. The survey targeted pulmonologists and covered demographics, knowledge of occupational exposures, diagnostic habits, and referral practices. <h3>Results</h3> Seventy-eight pulmonologists participated. Half were under 40 years old, and 75.8% had less than 10 years of experience. The sample included mainly residents (40.3%) and specialists (38.7%). Only 19.4% rated their knowledge of occupational ILDs as good or excellent, 30.6% as average, and 50% as poor or absent. The most recognized agents causing ILDs were asbestos and silica dust (93.5%), while fewer participants identified metallic dust (45.2%), sintered metals (35.5%), wood dust (35.5%), and cereal flours (40.3%). For extrinsic allergic alveolitis, the most cited causes were bird droppings (71%), isocyanates (69.4%), and moldy plant materials (43.5%). Occupational exposures linked to lung fibrosis included mining (79%), foundry work (77.4%), and welding (72.6%). Only 40.3% consistently took occupational histories in patients with ILDs. Just 14.5% recommended the correct six-month surveillance interval for exposed workers; 54.8% chose one year, and others opted for longer intervals. Only 43.5% frequently referred suspected occupational ILDs to occupational medicine. Motivations for referral included disease recognition (100%), exposure prevention (64.5%), and diagnostic clarification (61.3%). Main barriers were lack of training (80.6%), workload (80.6%), limited resources (77.4%), insufficient knowledge (72.6%), and low patient awareness (54.8%). <h3>Conclusion</h3> Significant gaps exist in pulmonologists’ knowledge and practices regarding occupational ILDs. Better collaboration with occupational health specialists is essential to improve early detection and care.