Improving chlamydia knowledge should lead to increased chlamydia testing among Australian general practitioners: a cross-sectional study of chlamydia testing uptake in general practice

Yeung, Anna; Temple-Smith, Meredith; Spark, Simone; Guy, Rebecca; Fairley, Christopher K; Law, Matthew; Wood, Anna; Smith, Kirsty; Donovan, Basil; Kaldor, John; Gunn, Jane; Pirotta, Marie; Carter, Rob; Hocking, Jane

doi:10.1186/s12879-014-0584-2

Table 2 Knowledge about chlamydia diagnosis and management by GP gender

From: Improving chlamydia knowledge should lead to increased chlamydia testing among Australian general practitioners: a cross-sectional study of chlamydia testing uptake in general practice

Variable		Overall N (%)	Male GP N (%)	Female GP N (%)	p-value
Female age groups at highest risk of infection¹	Incorrect	24 (6.3)	16 (6.4)	8 (6.1)	0.91
Female age groups at highest risk of infection¹	Correct	244 (93.8)	236 (93.7)	124 (93.9)
Male age groups at highest risk of infection²	Incorrect	39 (10.4)	24 (9.8)	15 (11.5)	0.63
Male age groups at highest risk of infection²	Correct	336 (89.6)	220 (90.2)	116 (88.6)
Chlamydia is usually asymptomatic in Women	Disagree	32 (8.3)	20 (7.9)	12 (9.0)	0.70
Chlamydia is usually asymptomatic in Women	Agree	355 (91.7)	234 (92.1)	121 (91.0)
Chlamydia is usually asymptomatic in Men	Disagree	100 (26.0)	67 (26.6)	33 (24.8)	0.71
Chlamydia is usually asymptomatic in Men	Agree	285 (74.0)	185 (73.4)	100 (75.2)
Knowledge of population groups to be targeted for screening³ (see below for results for each scenario)	0-2	24 (6.2)	19 (7.5)	5 (3.8)	0.09
	3-5	264 (68.6)	177 (70.2)	87 (65.4)
	6+	97 (25.2)	56 (22.2)	41 (30.8)
Treatment in men and non-pregnant women⁴	Incorrect	70 (17.9)	49 (19.0)	21 (15.8)	0.43
Treatment in men and non-pregnant women⁴	Correct	321 (82.1)	209 (81.0)	112 (84.2)
Treatment in pregnant women⁴	Incorrect	231 (59.1)	146 (56.6)	85 (63.9)	0.16
Treatment in pregnant women⁴	Correct	160 (40.9)	112 (43.4)	48 (36.1)
Retest 12 months after a negative test⁵	Incorrect	341 (87.2)	233 (90.3)	108 (81.2)	0.01
Retest 12 months after a negative test⁵	Correct	50 (12.8)	25 (9.7)	25 (18.8)
Retest 3 months after a positive test⁵	Incorrect	308 (78.8)	207 (80.2)	101 (75.9)	0.33
Retest 3 months after a positive test⁵	Correct	83 (21.2)	51 (19.8)	32 (24.1)
Knowledge of symptoms suggestive of PID⁶	Incorrect	109 (27.9)	83 (32.2)	26 (19.6)	0.01
Knowledge of symptoms suggestive of PID⁶	Correct	282 (72.1)	175 (67.8)	107 (80.5)
Knowledge of PID tests that should be done⁷	Incorrect	205 (52.4)	148 (57.4)	57 (42.9)	0.01
Knowledge of PID tests that should be done⁷	Correct	186 (47.6)	110 (42.6)	76 (57.1)
Testing Scenarios
Case 1: 23 year old female, pap smear	Not offer test	180 (46.3)	136 (53.1)	44 (33.1)	<0.01
Case 1: 23 year old female, pap smear	Offer test	209 (53.7)	120 (46.9)	89 (66.9)
Case 2: 18 year old female, abdominal pain	Not offer test	19 (4.9)	16 (6.2)	3 (2.3)	0.08
Case 2: 18 year old female, abdominal pain	Offer test	371 (95.1)	241 (93.8)	130 (97.7)
Case 3: 26 year old male, truck license medical	Not offer test	315 (80.8)	217 (84.4)	98 (73.7)	0.01
Case 3: 26 year old male, truck license medical	Offer test	75 (19.2)	40 (15.6)	35 (26.3)
Case 4: 24 year old female, 16/40 pregnant	Not offer test	228 (58.8)	151 (59.2)	77 (57.9)	0.80
Case 4: 24 year old female, 16/40 pregnant	Offer test	160 (41.2)	104 (40.8)	56 (42.1)
Case 5: 22 year old male, Aboriginal, sore throat	Not offer test	271 (69.5)	178 (69.3)	93 (69.9)	0.89
Case 5: 22 year old male, Aboriginal, sore throat	Offer test	119 (30.5)	79 (30.7)	40 (30.1)
Case 6: 33 year old female, pill script	Not offer test	330 (84.8)	225 (87.9)	105 (79.0)	0.02
Case 6: 33 year old female, pill script	Offer test	59 (15.2)	31 (12.1)	28 (21.1)
Case 7: 17 year old male, genital warts	Not offer test	12 (3.1)	11 (4.3)	1 (0.8)	0.06
Case 7: 17 year old male, genital warts	Offer test	378 (96.9)	246 (95.7)	132 (99.3)
Case 8: 34 year old male, 2 partners in last 6 months, HIV test	Not offer test	10 (2.6)	6 (2.3)	4 (3.0)	0.70
	Offer test	379 (97.4)	250 (97.7)	129 (97.0)

¹Answers were classified as correct if they ticked at least one correct answer - 15-19 and 20-24 year olds; ²Answers were classified as correct if they ticked at least one correct answer - 20-24 and 25-29 year olds; ³Knowledge of population groups to be targeted for screening is one point for correctly offering a test under the 2010 RACGP guidelines - tests should be offered to cases 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 & 8 but not offered to cases 3 & 6; ⁴Azithromycin is the correct treatment for men, women and pregnant women; ⁵RACGP guidelines recommend re-testing every 12 months after a negative test and every 3 months after a positive test; ⁶Correct signs and symptoms suggestive of PID are tenderness with motion of the cervix, adnexal tenderness, uterine tenderness, lower abdominal tenderness and inflamed cervix; ⁷Correct diagnostic tests are pregnancy test, chlamydia and gonorrhoea test, abdominal palpation and bimanual examination.

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