A current assessment of family physicians’ knowledge and attitudes toward asthma management in primary care in Turkey according to the GINA strategy report

Asthma is a common respiratory disease that leads to significant morbidity and mortality. Family physicians play a fundamental role alongside pulmonologists in the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of asthma. Our study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of family physicians in Turkey regarding asthma management in light of the GINA Strategy Report. A total of 596 family physicians from all 12 NUTS regions in the country participated in our cross-sectional analytical study. Data were collected through an online survey prepared by the researchers, referencing the GINA Strategy Report. Descriptive data are presented as numbers and percentages, and differences between independent groups were analyzed using the chi-square test. The majority of participants (96.8%) knew that spirometry is used in the diagnosis of asthma. Regarding asthma control, 11.9% of physicians used the Asthma Control Test, and more than half (61.2%) checked the number of attacks. While only 37.4% correctly understood that the regular use of SABA alone is not part of stepwise treatment, 77.2% correctly indicated that the combination of ICS and formoterol can be used as a reliever and for maintenance in stepwise treatment. About half of the participants believed that high-dose SABA use does not increase the risk of exacerbations (49.7%). A total of 96.9% of physicians reported that they request training in asthma management. Our findings indicate that there are gaps in the implementation of asthma management in primary care and that adherence to the Strategy Report is insufficient.