Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding hyperuricemia among physicians in internal medicine departments: a multicenter cross-sectional survey in China

Introduction Hyperuricemia (HUA) is a highly prevalent metabolic disorder associated with gout and multiple cardiometabolic and renal comorbidities, making its management important in internal medicine practice. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of internal medicine physicians concerning HUA. Methods This study implemented a multicenter observational study spanning from November 2024 to March 2025, encompassing 25 healthcare facilities. Information was obtained through a comprehensive survey instrument adapted from prior research and relevant guidelines and pilot-tested for reliability that captured participant demographics and assessed HUA-related KAP metrics. Cutoff values for KAP scores were determined based on Bloom’s criteria: scores of 80–100% were considered good, 60–79% moderate, and below 60% poor. Results The analysis incorporated 390 complete survey responses, achieving an effective completion rate of 96.30%. Participant demographics revealed a predominantly female cohort (84.62%), averaging 36.02 ± 6.91 years of age. Most respondents were affiliated with tertiary hospitals (87.44%) and institutions with teaching responsibilities (89.74%). Mean scores across the three domains were: knowledge 5.51 ± 2.04 (potential range: 0–12), attitude 41.67 ± 3.59 (potential range: 9–45), and practice 40.98 ± 8.45 (potential range: 10–50), corresponding to poor knowledge (<60% of maximum), good attitude (≥80%), and moderate practice (60–79%) based on Bloom’s criteria. Correlation analysis showed that both knowledge ( r = 0.1492, p = 0.0031) and attitude scores ( r = 0.5369, p < 0.001) were positively correlated with practice scores. Structural equation modeling indicated significant direct effects of knowledge ( β = 0.84, p < 0.001) and attitude ( β = 1.05, p < 0.001) on practice. Conclusion Despite generally positive attitudes and moderate practices toward HUA management, internal medicine physicians demonstrated suboptimal levels of knowledge, which may limit the effectiveness of clinical decision-making. Targeted educational interventions may help address these knowledge gaps and potentially improve evidence-based HUA management.