Assessment of General Practitioners’ Knowledge, Needs, and Barriers in Primary Healthcare Delivery in Emirates Health Services, United Arab Emirates: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background General Practitioners (GPs) are central to primary healthcare delivery, yet data on their knowledge and continuing education needs within Emirates Health Services (EHS) are limited. This study aimed to assess GPs’ knowledge, needs, and barriers among GPs in EHS primary health centers in the United Arab Emirates. Methods A multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted between April and June 2025 across 63 EHS primary healthcare centers. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire covering demographics, knowledge domains (common, chronic, and women’s and children’s health conditions), training needs, and perceived barriers. Knowledge levels were categorized using modified Bloom’s cut-offs. Descriptive statistics were reported as frequencies and percentages, and inferential analyses were performed using χ² tests, Fisher’s exact tests, t-tests, and one-way ANOVA, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results Among the 127 participants, 55.9% (n = 71) were male, 36.2% (n = 46) were aged 41-50 years, and 40.9% (n = 52) had five to 10 years of experience. A high level of knowledge regarding common primary healthcare conditions was reported by 86.6% (n = 110) of GPs, and 63.8% (n = 81) showed high knowledge of chronic conditions, with significant associations between knowledge and both age (p = 0.013) and experience (p = 0.021). Knowledge of child and women’s health conditions was moderate to high in 78.7% (n = 100) of participants, with no significant demographic associations (p > 0.05). Regarding training needs, 49.6% (n = 63) indicated a moderate need and 43.3% (n = 55) a high need. Most respondents (63.0%, n = 80) stated that previous EHS training sessions had significantly improved their clinical skills. Conclusion GPs under EHS demonstrated generally high knowledge levels yet expressed substantial needs for continued professional training. Major barriers to development were time constraints and limited institutional support.