Knowledge, attitude, confidence, and barriers in the practice of erectile dysfunction screening among primary health-care providers in Taiping Perak, Malaysia

Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common health problem and has clinical importance. it is well documented that ED is associated with coronary heart disease. However, the practice of ED screening is poor in primary care settings. Objectives: To assess primary health-care providers' knowledge and attitude toward ED and to determine the confidence and barriers in the screening of ED. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study using self-administered questionnaires was conducted at 11 government health clinics in Taiping Perak in 2018 involving all health-care providers who run the outpatient and noncommunicable disease unit. SPSS (version 25) statistical package was used to analyze the data. Mann–Whitney U-test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and Chi-square test were employed. Results: A total of 77 primary health-care providers participated in this study. The median age of the participants was 31 years (interquartile range 7). A total of 38 (49.4%) participants scored above the median knowledge. Participants who were doctors, users of clinical practice guide in ED, confident in ED screening, and perceived adequate training scored higher in knowledge (P ≤ 0.05). Smoking as a cause of ED (98.7%) recorded the highest percentage of correct responses, whereas the prevalence of ED (18.2%) recorded the lowest. All participants perceived ED as an important health issue and felt that proper treatment is required. Only 16 (20.8%) participants had confidence in ED screening practice. Lack of training in ED screening and assessment was the barrier that significantly affects the confidence of practice (P = 0.012). Conclusion: The knowledge on ED and confidence in its screening were unsatisfactory among the primary health-care providers. Our work suggests the requirement to equip health-care professionals with adequate training on ED screening, assessment, and management for early prevention of cardiovascular disease and improvement of men's quality of life.