Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Feb 4:8:2050312120902591.
doi: 10.1177/2050312120902591. eCollection 2020.

A survey of syphilis knowledge among medical providers and students in Rhode Island

John Bonnewell  1 , Sarah Magaziner  2 , Joseph L Fava  3 , Madeline C Montgomery  4 , Alexi Almonte  5 , Michael Carey  3 , Philip A Chan  4   5
Affiliations

A survey of syphilis knowledge among medical providers and students in Rhode Island

John Bonnewell et al. SAGE Open Med. .

Abstract

Background: In the United States, syphilis cases have increased dramatically over the last decade. Recognition and timely diagnosis by medical providers are essential to treating syphilis and preventing further transmission.

Methods: From 2016 to 2017, a cross-sectional survey was performed among medical students, residents, fellows, and attending physicians in Rhode Island. Topics included demographics, level of medical training, experience diagnosing and treating syphilis, and familiarity with the reverse testing algorithm. Participants were asked 25 true/false questions to assess basic knowledge of syphilis, which covered five domains: epidemiology, transmission, clinical signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. Univariate and bivariate analyses were performed to determine knowledge levels across provider characteristics. Significance was defined as p < 0.05.

Results: Of the 231 participants, 45% were medical students, 34% were residents or fellows, 11% were medicine attendings (non-infectious diseases), and 10% were infectious diseases attendings. The overall mean score was 9.79 (out of 25; range = 0-23, p ⩽ 0.001). Mean scores differed significantly (p < 0.001) across groups, including 7.68 for students (range = 0-16), 10.61 for residents/fellows (range = 3-17), 10.41 for non-infectious diseases attendings (range = 4-18), and 16.38 for infectious diseases attendings (range = 6-23). Familiarity with the reverse sequence algorithm was low with only 22% having heard of it. Infectious diseases attendings were significantly more knowledgeable compared to other groups. Overall and across domains, infectious diseases attendings had significantly higher scores except when compared to non-infectious diseases attendings in the epidemiology domain and residents/fellows in the transmission domain.

Conclusion: Overall syphilis knowledge among non-infectious diseases medical providers was low. Improved education and clinical training are needed to promote early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention efforts.

Keywords: Syphilis; diagnosis; healthcare providers; medical students; prevention.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

References

    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually transmitted disease surveillance 2017. Atlanta, GA, 2018, https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats17/2017-STD-Surveillance-Report_CDC-clearan...
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually transmitted disease surveillance 2017: STDs in men who have sex with men. Atlanta, GA, 2018, https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats17/msm.htm
    1. Oliver SE, Cope AB, Rinsky JL, et al. Increases in ocular syphilis-North Carolina, 2014-2015. Clin Infect Dis 2017; 65(10): 1676–1682. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bowen V, Su J, Torrone E, et al. Increase in incidence of congenital syphilis—United States, 2012-2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2015; 64(44): 1241–1245. - PubMed
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC call to action: let’s work together to stem the tide of rising syphilis in the US. Atlanta, GA, 2017, https://npin.cdc.gov/publication/cdc-call-action-lets-work-together-stem...

LinkOut - more resources