Introduction:
The perception of nephrology as a complex medical discipline has led to less interest in nephrology careers. The perception of nephrology among other non-nephrology medical specialists was not assessed. This will be reflected in the attitude toward nephrology in daily practice, the work environment, and patient care. We aimed to To understand the perception and attitude of Iraqi medical (non-nephrology) specialists regarding nephrology and how it may affect their practice.
Methods:
A web-based, authors-constructed, Likert-type scale questionnaire to assess perception was used. Multiple-choice yes/no/maybe questions were used to explore their satisfaction in their daily practice regarding exposure to kidney-related problems. Iraqi adult and pediatric medical, non-nephrology subspecialists from a single health directorate were recruited.
Results:
Ninety specialists were recruited, with 94% being males. Of the 90 participants,72% were internists, while 28% were pediatricians. The main factor in choosing their career pathway was the opportunities for interventions and field innovation,55%. The leading causes of not selecting nephrology were the complexity of the patients and disease,50%, and the futile patient outcomes,56%. Two-thirds, 66%, are dealing with kidney issues, and 80% think that managing these issues is difficult. The three most challenging scenarios to deal with are (Electrolytes and acid-base, Kidney transplant, and glomerular disease), respectively. In 81%, there are no written protocols for managing kidney problems in these different units. The most common cause of asking for a nephrologist’s help is the need for a kidney biopsy, 33%. Only 46% will seek a nephrology opinion after the initial intervention to stabilize and address the reversible issues. Thirty-three percent, 33%, will likely seek another nephrology opinion because of the clinician’s concerns. Only 41% think that the current nephrology training is adequate.
Conclusions:
Nephrology is a nonattractive discipline in Iraqi medical training. Iraqi physicians consider opportunities for intervention and innovation when choosing their career pathways. An integrated plan to manage kidney patients in Iraq must address education, training, infrastructure, and organizational issues.
I have no potential conflict of interest to disclose.
I did not use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process.