Abstract Rationale Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) is a disorder of increased pulmonary vascular resistance that is potentially life-threatening. The worldwide prevalence of PH (Groups 1-5) is estimated to be 1%, increasing to 10% for those over the age of 651. The UK curriculums for Internal and Respiratory Medicine recognise that trainees should be familiar with diseases of the pulmonary circulation and should be able to ‘provide basic care for patients who have... pulmonary hypertension’2. Our aim was to assess knowledge of this increasingly common condition. Methods The cohort comprised resident doctors working at a tertiary hospital in South West London. They completed a questionnaire about their: grade, specialty, frequency of encountering patients with PH and confidence (on a scale of 1 ‘low confidence’ to 5 ‘very confident’) in diagnosing and treating PH. Respondents were asked the definitive method of diagnosis and the appropriate follow up for a patient with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) and right ventricular (RV) dilation and/or impairment. Results 28 responses were received. 18% (n = 5) were foundation doctors, 57% (n = 17) senior house officers and 25% (n = 7) specialty registrars. 57% (n = 16) said they saw patients with PH either ‘once a week’ or ‘once a month’ whereas 43% said ‘once a year’ or ‘never’. In terms of confidence in PH diagnosis and treatment the percentage of respondents that ranked themselves as 3 or less was 86% (n = 24) and 82% (n = 23) respectively. When asked the gold standard method to diagnose PH, 68% (n = 19) of respondents were incorrect (Figure 1). 50% of respiratory registrars appropriately recognised the need for a right heart catheter but only 50% knew that a diagnosis requires a mean pulmonary artery pressure 20mmHg. For the follow up of patients with acute PE and RV impairment/dilation: 68% (n = 19) correctly recognised the need for an echocardiogram and assessment of lung perfusion. However, 25% (n = 7) incorrectly stated that all patients required a right heart catheter. Conclusion It appears that perceived clinical exposure to PH is varied although likely underestimated by the training physician. In addition, there is a clear lack of confidence in the diagnosis and treatment of PH. Given the rising incidence of this condition a quality improvement project is planned to respond to this crucial education need. References: 1. Hoeper M et al. A global view of pulmonary hypertension. Lancet Respir Med. 2016 Apr;4(4):306-22. 2. Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians’ Training Board. Respiratory Medicine 2022 Curriculum. London: GMC; 2023 This abstract is funded by: None
Roberts et al. (Fri,) studied this question.