A report of clinicians’ attitude survey of acquired hemophilia A in daily clinical practice

Abstract

A questionnaire-based survey to assess clinicians’ attitudes toward acquired hemophilia A (AHA) was conducted to determine if clinicians recognized the condition and to improve the prognosis of AHA in 8 hospitals in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. Degree of recognition of AHA was about 60%, which was higher in foundation hospitals. Main knowledge source of AHA was daily clinic in foundation hospital and books in small and medium sized hospitals. Seventy two percent of doctors who did not know AHA wanted to know AHA. Sixteen percent of all doctors encountered AHA, with the frequency of encounter being the highest for physicians and second highest for orthopedists. Only 5% of the doctors had experience with treating AHA. Approximately 83% of doctors wanted to refer patients with AHA to a hematologist. Sixty percent of doctors who responded wanted to refer patients with AHA to other hospitals or other departments like hemophilia center hospital. It is important to know the consultation department in order to improve a medical cooperation system to the department of hematology and in order to improve prognosis of AHA.