DOI: 10.21276/sasjm.2018.4.3.1

Pages: 40-47

The aim of this study was to evaluate the management of RA by general practitioners (GP) in Morocco and to check whether their current practices were consistent with and adhered to the recommendations on best clinical practices. With this goal in mind, a survey was conducted among GPs operating both in the public and in the private sectors in the kingdom. A questionnaire was developed, validated by an expert committee and granted permission by the Moroccan Society of Rheumatology (SMR) and then sent to all affiliated GPs using Google forms (i.e. a tool for collecting opinion polls). The questionnaire included multiple choice questions and a clinical case. Among the 9055 GPs practicing in Morocco, email addresses of only 3400 were available. Among the 890 valid mail addresses, only 220 GPs answered back, representing a total participation of 24.71%. The average number of patients with RA seen monthly by a medical officer was 5.75 patients per month. With regard to diagnosing RA, half of the GPs were not familiar with the deadline for early diagnosis. One usually initiated corticosteroids at a dose of 15-20 mg / day. For ongoing monitoring f RA activity, 60% of GPs were unaware of DAS28, and 59% did not know the new2010 diagnostic criteria. For first-line therapy, 42% did not consider Methotrexate as the standard first-line treatment for patients with RA. For 83% of GPs, treatment could be initiated beyond 3 months of the window of opportunity. A substantial majority of them expressed their wish to receive ongoing and targeted training on the disease. Our investigation revealed that there was a significant discrepancy in the current practices of GPs.