Clinical competence of primary healthcare’ Mexican physicians for osteoporosis’ treatment

Abstract

Introduction: In Mexico, at least 21 million people have osteoporosis, where it been demonstrated unknowledge of this disease in primary healthcare’ physicians, but not has been evaluated clinical competencies for your treatment by mean of adequate instruments.

Objective: Evaluate clinical competence of a primary healthcare’ mexican physicians sample for diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis.

Method: Cross-sectional study in 5 cluster sample of 23 family medical units of the Mexican Institute of Social Security from Guadalajara’s metropolitan zone, Jalisco, Mexico. An instrument was designed and validated for to evaluate clinical competence in five dimensions: risk factors identification, clinical data identification, diagnostic test interpretation, diagnosis integration and therapeutic resources utilization; that classified competence level in five strata: random defined, very low, low, regular and high; with 91% of reliability accord to Kuder-Richardson  test. Descriptive and no parametric inferential statistics was obtained.

Results: 144 physicians, 53.5% (n = 76) males and 46.5% (n = 68) females. Random defined clinical competence 16.7% (n = 24), very low 20.8% (n = 30), low 28.5% (n = 41), regular 20.8% (n = 30) and high 13.2% (n = 19). Statistically significant differences don’t find to compare medians between medical units (p = 0.53). 

Conclusions: Improve clinical competence of primary healthcare’ physicians for osteoporosis diagnosis and treatment is necessary. Intervention studies are required.