Knowledge of conversion disorder by primary care physician

INTRODUCTION: Primary care physicians tend to examine patients with conversion disorder (CD) first. A good knowledge of this disorder will allow an early diagnosis and avoid unnecessary investigations for the patient. OBJECTIVES: To assess the knowledge of primary care physicians about patients with CD. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional and descriptive study among 90 primary care physicians in Sfax (Tunisia). We used an anonymous self-questionnaire for data collection. RESULTS: The response rate to our questionnaire was 60%. The participants’ age ranged from 25 to 70 years, with a median of 41 years. The sex ratio (M/F) was 0.92. The majority of physicians (75.9%) have practiced in the public sector. Among the respondents, 75.9% had theoretical training in CD, 14.8% had continuing medical education (CME), and 42.6% had hospital experience in a psychiatric department. The overall proportion of correct answers was 71.8%. The most recognised symptoms of CD were: dysphonia-aphonia, paresthesia or paresis. All doctors mentioned at least one criterion to distinguish CD from epileptic seizures and loss of consciousness. CONCLUSIONS: There are some gaps in primary care physicians’ knowledge of CD. Thus, we propose to reconsider the conduct of CME, to favour small group training workshops with role-playing and to improve the collaboration between the psychiatrist and the primary care physician. DISCLOSURE: No significant relationships.