Knowledge levels of family physicians working in Aydın province about interventional radiology

Introduction and Aim: Interventional radiology (IR) uses minimally invasive procedures for both diagnosis and treatment, guided by imaging methods. This field has developed rapidly in recent years. Family physicians may need to inform and guide patients regarding these procedures. To provide this service well, family physicians require adequate knowledge. This study aims to determine the level of knowledge among family physicians in Aydin province regarding interventional radiology. It also investigates the factors that affect this knowledge and seeks to increase awareness of the subject. Materials and Method: This study took place during a period from 1st November, 2023 to 31st October, 2024. 208 volunteer family physicians participated in this cross-sectional descriptive study. Data were collected via a three-part-survey consisting 25 open- and close-ended questions. These parts were searching about sociodemographic characteristics, self-medical literacy, and self-knowledge and awareness of interventional radiology. Statistical analyzes were performed using SPSS 22.0. Results: Of the 208 participants, 75.5% (n=157) were men. Of the total, 41.3% of the participants (n=86) have been practicing medicine for more than 30 years, 67.8% (n=141) read an average of 1-5 medical research articles per month, and 56.7% (n=118) devote an average of 1-5 hours of time per month to their professional development. 78.8% of the participants (n=164) reported having a low level of knowledge about IR. The total score for IR knowledge level was determined as 5.27 out of 12. Conclusion: The mean level on IR knowledge was low among our participants. The total knowledge scores of women, family physician specialists, and those who read medical journals were higher. Training programs can be created during academic education and after graduation.