Diagnostic preparedness for Inborn Errors of Immunity among primary care and non-immunology healthcare professionals in Kazakhstan: A cross-sectional questionnaire based study.

Abstract

Introduction/ObjectivesInborn Errors of Immunity (IEIs) are rare disorders in which delayed diagnosis leads to significant morbidity and mortality. Early recognition depends largely on primary care and non-immunology healthcare professionals; however, data on IEI awareness in Central Asia are limited. This study assessed the awareness of IEI among healthcare professionals in Kazakhstan and identified the association with higher diagnostic preparedness.MethodsA nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2025 using an online questionnaire distributed across multiple regions of Kazakhstan. Physicians and nurses affiliated with the immunology department were excluded. The survey was adapted from the Jeffrey Modell Foundation framework and demonstrated high internal consistency (KR-20 = 0.94). Descriptive analyses and multivariable logistic regression were performed.ResultsA total of 239 healthcare professionals participated (88.7% female; mean age, 38.3 ± 10.2 years). While 72.4% reported undergraduate exposure to immunology, only 30.5% received postgraduate or workplace-based training related to IEI. Overall, 40.6% of the respondents were familiar with the "10 warning signs" of IEI. Prior workplace-based training was independently associated with higher awareness (adjusted OR 12.6, 95% CI 6.43-24.65).ConclusionsAwareness of IEI among non-immunology professionals in Kazakhstan remains limited. Targeted workplace-based education and continuing medical education (CME) programs may improve early recognition and referral rates.