A Nationwide Survey of Awareness and Knowledge on Bronchial Provocation Test (BPT) amongst Doctors in Malaysia

Abstract

Introduction: Bronchial provocation test(BPT) is widely used internationally not only to evaluate bronchial responsiveness in conditions especially bronchial asthma(BA), but also as a marker of control, severity and prognosis for BA. However, the uptake of BPT in many countries including Malaysia remains low. We attempt to explore this phenomenon by assessing the current level of awareness and knowledge on BPT amongst doctors in Malaysia

Methods: A nationwide web-based questionnaire targeting doctors was sent through social media(Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram) and Malaysia Medical Association(MMA) mailing lists between 1 Oct 2020–5 Feb 2021

Results: 415 survey responses were analysed for doctors of various grades from medical officers to consultants. 404(97.4%) encountered patients with BA in their daily practice. Of specialty: 169(40.7%) were from primary care, 121(29.2%) general medicine, 50(12.1%) pulmonary medicine and 75(18.1%) others. Only 163(39.3%) were aware of BPT to diagnose BA. 232(55.90%) and 124(29.9%) regarded BPT as an important test and felt confident to refer patients for BPT respectively. Of those not confident to refer: 35.2% were unsure of BPT indications, 33.2% were unsure of centres providing BPT, 8.2% cited logistic reasons, 6.0% were concerned of possible BPT side effects. 387(93.3%) wanted more training in BPT. The median BPT knowledge score was 20%(1 out of 5). Awareness and knowledge were affected by specialty but not by: region of practice, gender, age and grade from logistic regression analysis

Measurements and Main Results: Various national level programs and targeted local interventions are much needed to increase the awareness, knowledge and uptake of BPT in Malaysia