Almost all programs for the control of soil-transmitted helminth infections implemented across Asia, Africa, and Latin America have focused on at-risk population through mass deworming, health education, and, when possible, environmental sanitation, underestimating the importance of the physician's role in these populations. The physician who provides services in the communities is an opinion leader, and if equipped with the necessary cognitive tools, could be crucial in any attempt to control many entities, including soil-transmitted helminth infections. These considerations highlighted the need to assess knowledge, perceptions, and practices of Family Doctors of San Miguel del Padrón municipality regarding soil-transmitted helminth infection diagnosis, treatment, and control through a targeted survey. This type of tool has proven effective for similar purposes in relation to other infectious diseases in other settings. The survey application revealed, among other aspects of interest, significant cognitive gaps, inadequate perceptions, and incorrect practices regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and control of soil-transmitted helminth infections. To address the identified deficiencies and their consequences, a set of academic actions was carried out. Six months after the implementation of these measures, a second application of the survey showed significant improvement among respondents in almost all of the cognitive, perceptual, and behavioral aspects evaluated. For instance, the percentage of correct responses of Family Doctors to the 19 questions that addressed cognitive aspects about soil-transmitted helminth infections significantly improved after the intervention performed (44.7% before vs. 79.1% after). The results of this study confirm that to achieve proper expertise among doctors regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and control of soil-transmitted helminth infections, it is necessary to introduce improvements in the training programs and, complementarily, create conditions that ensure the continuous education of these professionals.

Soil-transmitted helminth Infections, Medical survey, Intervention, Knowledge, Perceptions, Practices