To survey the cognition and training needs for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) among general practitioners (GPs) in a grade-A tertiary hospital and its general practice teaching base.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the cognition and training needs for IBD among 55 GPs from Peking University First Hospital and its general practice teaching base in Beijing from February to March 2019. The questionnaire consists of two parts: the IBD awareness test paper and the IBD training needs questionnaire. A total of 55 valid questionnaires were collected. The distribution of IBD test scores, the knowledge of IBD, the differences in knowledge ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn′s disease (CD), and the training needs of GPs for IBD were analyzed.

The passing rate of questions1 of 55 participants was 30.9% (17/55), with an average score of (52.2±12.0). The mean scores for knowledge of etiology, diagnosis, treatment and case analysis were(83.6±37.0), (60.2±18.3), (54.9±14.1) and (31.8±20.7)respectively. There was no significant difference in the diagnostic knowledge between UC and CD among 55 general practitioners [60.0%(99/165) vs. 60.4% (166/275), χ²=0.006, P=0.94], but the knowledge of UC treatment was higher than that of CD [72.1% (119/165) vs.27.7% (61/220), χ²=74.643, P<0.01]. The most needed training content was drug, surgical and nutritional treatment for IBD (90.9%, 50/55), followed by clinical presentation (80.0%, 44/55).

The general practitioners who participated in the survey show poor cognition of IBD, especially the knowledge of diagnosis and treatment of IBD. Compared with UC, the knowledge of CD treatment is more insufficient. General practitioners have a high training needs for the treatment and clinical manifestations of IBD.

Questionnaires; Inflammatory bowel disease; General practitioner; Education