Knowledge of peripheral arterial disease: Results of an intervention to measure and improve PAD knowledge in Toronto

Background: Prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) has dramatically increased in both developing, as well as developed countries. However, significant knowledge and practice gaps persist. In Canada, efforts to improve this knowledge level are lacking. In this study, we examine PAD knowledge in Toronto, and evaluate a pilot intervention to address the knowledge gaps. Objectives: Measure PAD awareness in Toronto, and evaluate an intervention to improve PAD knowledge among the public. Methods: In the context of a community-based awareness campaign, an interview-based survey was used to assess the PAD awareness among general public. A sample of participants was split into two arms: control (survey only) and intervention (survey and education pamphlet), the choice between assigning the site as case or control was random. A follow-up telephone and email-based survey was conducted after 6 weeks to assess the attained knowledge level of PAD. Results: Two hundred thirty-seven participants completed the baseline survey. One hundred eighty-eight participants (78.7%) had never heard of PAD. The remaining "PAD-aware'' cohort had low overall knowledge of the disease characteristics. Participants from each arm completed the follow-up survey. The level of education, age, and gender were not predictors of knowledge scores; however, age was a predictor of PAD awareness, while gender and level of education were not. Participants in the intervention group showed significant knowledge scores improvement in five PAD domains, while those from control group showed significant improvement in their preventative measures, treatment modalities, and total scores. The impact of the study intervention on average scores was borderline not significant (p = 0.05). Conclusion: PAD knowledge gap in the Canadian public is larger than what was previously reported. Educational campaigns are necessary to address this gap and improve the outcome of PAD patients through patients' activation. Our results are encouraging and warrant a next intervention to explore an educational program impact on PAD knowledge.