Knowledge among primary care physicians on urticaria treatment: Impact of educational interventions

Background: Primary care physicians (general practitioners, family physicians, emergency physicians, among others) are often the first point of medical contact for patients with urticaria. Appropriate initial management enables early disease control and reduces the overall burden on patients and health care systems. Objective: We evaluated changes over time in primary care physicians' (PCPs) knowledge regarding diagnosis and management of urticaria. Additionally, we explored the characterization of access barriers reported by urticaria specialists. Methods: We used a multimodal approach to assess changes in knowledge across two periods (2022 and 2025). Three sources of information were analyzed: (1) a knowledge test using a standardized questionnaire, (2) review of medical records from 3 health care centers, and (3) analysis of the Colombian national medical prescription registration system, SISPRO. Diagnostic and treatment domains were evaluated across all information sources. Results: We observed that the level of knowledge of guidelines among PCPs has increased in the different clinical domains (diagnosis, therapy). However, more than 50% of PCPs still have gaps in their understanding of the correct management practices. Several barriers were identified among PCPs but also among specialists (allergists, dermatologists), generally related to the administrative process. Conclusion: Educational initiatives appear to positively influence PCPs' knowledge and management of urticaria; however, persistent gaps highlight the need for ongoing, targeted educational strategies and system-level improvements to reduce barriers in medical care.