Abstract: Objective To investigate the awareness of chronic kidney disease (CKD) including the knowledge of concept, clinical manifestation, diagnosis, therapeutic principle, reversible factors and medication in order to help us explore the management mode for CKD. Methods Questionnaire survey was carried out among 304 doctors of non-nephrologists in 12 community hospitals, 10 second-class hospitals and 8 third-class hospitals. The questionnaire survey about CKD included 4 parts: concept and classification, diagnosis, prevention and cure, and aggravation and reversible factors. The awareness of the doctors was classified as“awareness”(more than 80% of the answers were correct),“partial awareness”(40-80% of the answers were correct), and“no awareness”(<40% of the answers were correct). Data were analyzed using the SPSS software. Results Ninety-seven doctors in community hospitals completed the questionnaire survey; for concept and classification of CKD: 25% awareness, 47% partial awareness, and 28% no awareness; for diagnosis of CKD: 22% awareness, 43% partial awareness, and 35% no awareness; for prevention and cure of CKD: 20% awareness, 45% partial awareness, and 35% no awareness; for aggravation and reversible factors of CKD: 17% awareness, 43% partial awareness, and 40% no awareness. Ninety-eight doctors in the second-class hospitals completed the questionnaire survey; for concept and classification of CKD: 38% awareness, 51% partial awareness, and 11% no awareness; for diagnosis of CKD: 25%
awareness, 43% partial awareness, and 32% no awareness; for prevention and cure of CKD: 22% awareness, 46% partial awareness, and 32% no awareness; for aggravation and reversible factors of CKD: 16% awareness, 47% partial awareness, and 37% no awareness. One hundred and nine doctors in the third-class
hospitals completed the questionnaire survey; for concept and classification of CKD: 39% awareness, 50% partial awareness, and 11% no awareness; for diagnosis of CKD: 25% awareness, 46% partial awareness, and 29% no awareness; for prevention and cure of CKD: 25% awareness, 48% partial awareness, and 27% no awareness; for aggravation and reversible factors of CKD: 16% awareness, 51% partial awareness, and 33% no awareness. The awareness rate about the concept and classification of CKD was significantly higher in the doctors of non-nephrologists working in the second-class hospitals and the third-class hospitals than those working in community hospitals (χ2=9.669, P=0.008, χ2=10.818, P=0.004). Conclusion The awareness rate about CKD concept and classification was lower among doctors of non-nephrologists working in all levels of hospitals. Thos situation is unfavorable to the prevention, treatment, and interruption of disease progression for CKD patients. Therefore, more efforts should be conducted to increase the awareness of CKD in doctors.

Key words: chronic kidney disease, awareness rate