23 Physicians knowledge.pmd

1Department of Internal Medicine; 2Department of Family and Community Medicine; 3Department of Urology, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Received: 06/05/03; accepted: 19/11/03 ABSTRACT We aimed to test the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of physicians towards erectile dysfunction in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. At a scientific meeting about erectile dysfunction, 159 physicians from both government and private sectors answered a 34-item questionnaire in private. The mean total KAP score for the group was below the expected standard of 60%. Male physicians scored significantly higher than females. Urologists scored the highest, followed by andrologists. Surprisingly, physicians with higher qualifications scored lower than those with intermediate qualifications and even less than general practitioners. Those who had practised for ≥ 10 years scored better than those with < 10 years practice. The role of cardiologists in the diagnosis and management of erectile dysfunction is discussed.