Hand surgery is an emerging subspecialty in India, which depends on referrals from general physicians (GPs) and emergency medicine physicians (EMDs). An appropriate referral requires the referring physician to have knowledge and understanding of common hand surgical conditions and awareness of hand surgery as a subspecialty. The aim of this study is to assess and compare the knowledge and awareness of hand surgical conditions among GPs and EMDs. The sample size for our study was calculated to be 39 GPs and 23 EMDs following a pilot study. The questionnaire based cross sectional study was conducted among GPs at primary care hospitals and EMDs at tertiary care hospitals, following which the results were analysed. A total of 62 physicians responded to our study (39 GPs and 23 EMDs). Areas in which knowledge gap was noted include penetrating palm injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, osteoarthritis and peripheral nerve repair. Interventions to bridge the gap may be required at many levels such as undergraduate education , post graduate education and continuing medical education. These interventions would not only improve the primary care provided but also facilitate a smooth referral process to hand surgeons for further management.

Keywords: Hand Surgery; Knowledge of Hand Surgery; General Practitioners; Emergency Medicine Department Physicians.