Purpose: To survey physicians about knowledge of hemochromatosis.
Methods: A questionnaire was faxed to American physicians.
Results: A total of 2,563 evaluable responses were obtained. There were > or = 70% correct responses about at-risk population, associated abnormalities, and population screening. There were 32% and 53% correct answers about diagnosis and treatment, respectively. A total of 8.0% and 4.9% reported asking > 75% of patients about family history of hemochromatosis and iron overload, respectively. Less than 25% requested HFE mutation analysis in the previous year. Correct answers were associated with academic practice, internal medicine specialty, and medical school graduation within 10 years.
Conclusion: Many physicians have inadequate knowledge about hemochromatosis diagnosis and treatment.