{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,30]],"date-time":"2025-07-30T16:00:33Z","timestamp":1753891233168,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,9]],"date-time":"2025-05-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1746748800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is a relatively common chronic inflammatory skin disorder. Early identification by primary healthcare (PHC) physicians plays a crucial role in preventing its adverse outcomes.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title><jats:p>To assess the knowledge of primary healthcare physicians in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia regarding HS and identify the determinants influencing their knowledge level.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>A cross-sectional study was conducted among randomly selected PHC physicians working in the cities of Jeddah, Makkah, and Taif. A valid and reliable self-administered online questionnaire was used for data collection.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>A total of 106 PHC physicians participated in the study, with ages ranging from 26 to 48 years. The majority (79.2%) were aware of HS. The most frequently reported source of information was a diagnosed patient (64.3%). Overall, 47.2% of participants demonstrated a good level of knowledge regarding HS. Female physicians (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = 0.043), those over 35 years of age (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = 0.001), family medicine consultants (p &amp;lt; 0.001), physicians with more than 10 years of clinical experience (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = 0.008), and those who had seen more than five dermatological cases per day (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = 0.019) were significantly more knowledgeable. Most participants assigned the responsibility for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of HS cases to dermatologists, followed by surgeons or PHC physicians. About one-third (33%) had previously diagnosed a case of HS.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>Although most PHC physicians in Western Saudi Arabia were aware of HS, less than half demonstrated a good level of knowledge, and only one-third had ever diagnosed a case. These findings highlight the need to implement targeted dermatology education programs for PHC physicians.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2025.1483112","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,9]],"date-time":"2025-05-09T04:11:15Z","timestamp":1746763875000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Assessment of knowledge of primary healthcare physicians in the western region of Saudi Arabia about Hidradenitis Suppurativa"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Jumana Nabeel","family":"Akbar","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mawaddah Abdulgader","family":"Tallab","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sarah Bandar","family":"Aljoudi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Houriah Y.","family":"Nukaly","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mohammed Haitham","family":"Abduljabbar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","first-page":"17","article-title":"Hidradenitis suppurativa: causes, features, and current treatments","volume":"11","author":"Vinkel","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Clin Aesthet Dermatol."},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"95","DOI":"10.4103\/JCAS.JCAS_80_16","article-title":"The clinical pattern of axillary hidradenitis suppurativa among Saudi Arabians: mode of presentation and treatment challenges","volume":"10","author":"Shirah","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Cutan Aesthet Surg."},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"91","DOI":"10.4103\/ijd.IJD_412_16","article-title":"Hidradenitis suppurativa: inside and out","volume":"63","author":"Patil","year":"2018","journal-title":"Indian J Dermatol."},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1902","DOI":"10.3889\/oamjms.2018.358","article-title":"A dermatological questionnaire for general practitioners with a focus on hidradenitis suppurativa","volume":"6","author":"Marasca","year":"2018","journal-title":"Open Access Maced J Med Sci."},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1448","DOI":"10.4103\/jfmpc.jfmpc_1151_19","article-title":"Knowledge about and determinants for diagnosing hidradenitis suppurativa by ministry of health primary healthcare physicians in Jeddah city 2019: An analytical cross-sectional study","volume":"9","author":"Alhawsawi","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Family Med Prim Care."},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"61","DOI":"10.15570\/actaapa.2019.16","article-title":"Awareness, knowledge, and practice patterns of general practitioner residents and specialists toward hidradenitis suppurativa: a survey study","volume":"28","author":"Lopes","year":"2019","journal-title":"Acta Dermatovenerol Alp Pannonica Adriat."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2019","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2017.16691","article-title":"Hidradenitis suppurativa: advances in diagnosis and treatment","volume":"318","author":"Saunte","year":"2017","journal-title":"JAMA."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"105","DOI":"10.2147\/CCID.S111019","article-title":"Hidradenitis suppurativa: from pathogenesis to diagnosis and treatment","volume":"10","author":"Napolitano","year":"2017","journal-title":"Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol."},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"325","DOI":"10.1097\/01.ASW.0000465674.34810.e9","article-title":"Hidradenitis suppurativa: a frequently missed diagnosis, Part 1: a review of pathogenesis, associations, and clinical features","volume":"28","author":"Wang","year":"2015","journal-title":"Adv Skin Wound Care."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"809","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1365-2133.2001.04137.x","article-title":"Morbidity in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa","volume":"144","author":"Von Der Werth","year":"2001","journal-title":"Br J Dermatol."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7546","DOI":"10.4081\/dr.2018.7546","article-title":"Hidradenitis suppurativa in a patient with hyperandrogenism, insulin-resistance and acanthosis nigricans (HAIR-AN syndrome)","volume":"10","author":"Melibary","year":"2018","journal-title":"Dermatol Rep."},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e272","DOI":"10.1111\/jdv.17022","article-title":"Metascoring Hidradenitis suppurativa","volume":"35","author":"Daoud","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol."},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.52768\/2691-7785\/1149","article-title":"Qualitative systematic review on the bio-psycho-socioeconomic impact of hidradenitis suppurativa\/acne inversa","author":"Augusto","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Surgery"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2353693","DOI":"10.1080\/09546634.2024.2353693","article-title":"Expert consensus on unmet needs, referral criteria and treatment goals for hidradenitis suppurativa in Saudi Arabia","volume":"35","author":"Eshmawi","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Dermatol Treat."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Medicine"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fmed.2025.1483112\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,9]],"date-time":"2025-05-09T04:11:16Z","timestamp":1746763876000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fmed.2025.1483112\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,9]]},"references-count":14,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fmed.2025.1483112"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fmed.2025.1483112","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-858X"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"2296-858X"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,9]]},"article-number":"1483112"}}