Determining the Knowledge, Attitudes, Behaviors and Thoughts of Family Physicians Concerning the Periodic Health Examination of Adults

Abstract Objective and Aim Identifying the barriers and facilitators to implementing periodic health examination (PHE) guidelines in adults is a crucial step for their application. Family physicians are responsible for implementing PHE. Studies have identified several obstacles to the implementation of adult PHE, including lack of knowledge about guidelines, time constraints, and unclear or unreliable evidence. The objective of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and thoughts of family physicians towards adult periodic health examinations and to identify solutions to the issues encountered in practice. Material and Methods This is a descriptive, cross-sectional analytical study conducted at a single center. The study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of family physicians in Kayseri province regarding adult periodic health examinations using a questionnaire. The language used was clear, objective, and value-neutral, with a formal register and precise word choice. A total of 379 out of 481 family physicians in Kayseri province were reached in 2023. No changes in content were made. The questionnaire included 10 knowledge-based questions, attitude and behavior questions, and opinion-based questions, in addition to sociodemographic data. The study adhered to conventional academic structure and maintained regular author and institution formatting. The text was grammatically correct and free from spelling and punctuation errors. The knowledge questions presented five options, with only one being the correct answer. Attitude, behavior, and opinion questions were presented as 5-point Likert-type questions. The questionnaires were administered through face-to-face interviews at family health centers. Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS version 26.0 package program (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 26). Results The majority of family physicians were aged 40 and over (74.14%). Males made up 66% of the sample. General practitioner family physicians accounted for 75.2% of the total. On average, family physicians provided 5.41±1.54 correct answers out of 10 knowledge questions. The study found a significant correlation between knowledge level and age, title, status of guideline follow-up, and level of practice as a family physician. Most elements of PSM were practiced by most family physicians. However, some elements of PSM were not practiced by most family physicians. Most family physicians reported that they were unable to allocate time for adult PHE and expressed that they could implement PHE if their workload decreased. Most participants were against promoting the implementation of PHE due to negative performance. Conclusion It is important to effectively and accurately implement adult PHE to prevent unnecessary and frequent tests caused by knowledge deficiencies. It is essential to inform family physicians about PHE guidelines, train them for the equal and accurate implementation of all elements of PHE, and increase the number of family physicians who are specialists or have received specialization training. The adherence of family physicians to PHE guidelines is crucial. Keywords: Periodic Health Examination, Family Physicians, Knowledge, Attitude, Behavior