Evaluation of knowledge levels of intern and assistant doctors about spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) disease in a tertiary healthcare institution

Introduction and Objective: Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a hereditary neuromuscular disorder characterized by progressive irreversible muscle atrophy and weakness due to the degeneration of motor neurons in the spinal cord anterior horn and motor nuclei in the brainstem. The fact that it is among the top causes of neonatal deaths in developed countries, is the second most common genetic disease after cystic fibrosis in infant deaths, and has high mortality and morbidity have revealed the importance of protection and preventive health policies from this disease. This study aims to evaluate the extent of knowledge and awareness about SMA disease among intern and assistant doctors at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Faculty of Medicine. Materials and Methods: Consistent with information gathered from a comprehensive review of existing literature, a survey form containing a total of 50 questions (10 on sociodemographic data and 40 on SMA disease information) was administered through face-to-face interviews with both intern and assistant doctors meeting the inclusion criteria. Results: The study included a total of 272 participants, comprising 92 (33.8%) women and 180 (66.2%) men. Among them, 140 (51.5%) were intern doctors, and 132 (48.5%) were assistant doctors. Upon categorizing the questions posed to participants in our study into subheadings, it was observed that the knowledge level concerning topics related to SMA disease within the clinical and carrier screening program was higher compared to all other subheadings. Notably, the knowledge level of married individuals was significantly higher than that of their single counterparts (p = 0.001). The study revealed a significant difference in knowledge levels between individuals with ASM experience and those without (p=0.003). Furthermore, our investigation identified a positive correlation between participants' age, career duration, and total score. Notably, individuals who considered themselves knowledgeable about SMA disease exhibited a significantly higher knowledge level compared to those who did not perceive themselves as knowledgeable (p<0.001). Additionally, the knowledge level of assistant doctors was found to be significantly higher than that of intern doctors (p=0.002). Conclusion: This study highlights the inadequacy of intern doctors' knowledge regarding SMA disease. A significant majority of doctors expressed a desire for training on SMA disease. Consequently, enhancing educational content related to SMA disease in medical school curricula and providing more educational resources, implementing ongoing professional development sessions for doctors at their post-graduate workplaces, developing clinical practice guidelines and patient manuals, and ensuring easy access to these materials would prove beneficial in elevating doctors' knowledge and awareness of SMA.