KNOWLEDGE AND EXPECTATIONS ON THE MANAGEMENT OF NEUROMUSCULAR DISEASE AMONG TURKISH PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION SPECIALISTS

Introduction: Neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) have a substantial burden on patients, their caregivers, and healthcare systems. The level of knowledge of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) specialists about NMD is of great importance for these patient groups. This study aimed to measure the level of knowledge and expectation of PMR specialists about NMD. Methods: We conducted a national, population-based, cross-sectional survey of PMR specialists caring for persons with NMD. An experience-based survey had three themes: clinician facing NMD, clinician’s NMD knowledge, and clinician’s expectations. Results: Of the 198 PMR specialists included in the study. Among the NMD subgroup diseases, Duchenne Muscular dystrophy was the most well-known disease (n=179, 90.4%), followed by Myasthenia Gravis (n=174, 87.9%) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) (n=162, 81.8%). The subgroup with the least awareness was diabetic polyneuropathy (n=61, 30.8%). While most of the participants (n=192, 97%) thought that rehabilitation programs could be effective in NMD, almost half of them (n=83, 41.9%) thought that stretching and strengthening exercises were harmful. Conclusion: Despite the high potential and thousands of patients who might benefit, NMD rehabilitation awareness is inadequate among PMR specialists. Improving PMR specialists' knowledge of NMD may contribute to patient outcomes. We recommend future studies investigating patient outcomes based on increased PMR knowledge following educational interventions.