Farah A Mansuri, Tasneem Borhany, Muslehuddin Kalar.
Factors responsible for under reporting of notifiable infectious diseases by general practitioners: a veiled reality.
Biomedica Jan ;30(2):126-9.

Background: Effective surveillance is the key to effective disease control in the community. Any such surveillance through proper reporting system would not only help to control the spread of these infec- tious diseases but also ensures appropriate treatment. This study investigated the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding notifiable diseases among general practitioners in North Karachi. Methods: A total of 175 doctors working as General Practitioners in Karachi, Pakistan, were asked to participate in this study and pattern of reporting of diseases was investigated through a self adminis- tered questionnaire. The response rate was 97% (170/175). Results: It was found that among the total practitioners, 78% routinely diagnosed the notifiable disea- ses but only 50% deliberated to report one or more of those diseases. Knowledge of dengue reporting was evident in 52.9% of the participants followed by typhoid 48%, chicken pox 47%, hepatitis 46% and malaria 43%. Conclusion: Most of the practitioners were found to be incompliant towards reporting of notifiable diseases. Lack of time was found to be the major reason for not reporting a disease, followed by confi- dentiality and poor knowledge of the reporting procedures. To improve the reporting practices among general practitioners, it seems that a convenient and easy reporting system should be introduced and to provide knowledge and awareness among doctors about the different infectious diseases and their repo- rting means. This will certainly help our GPs to strengthen the notification system of such diseases.

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