Experience of Polish Physicians on Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity

PAPER manual 2025 Progress in Applied Electrical Engineering (PAEE) 2025 Cross-sectional study Effect: unclear Evidence: Low

Read original paper → DOI: 10.1109/paee68231.2025.11155985 Evidence Lab

Abstract

Category: Epidemiology Tags: electromagnetic hypersensitivity, EMF, physicians, public health, survey, Poland, knowledge gaps DOI: 10.1109/paee68231.2025.11155985 URL: ieeexplore.ieee.org Overview The primary aim of this project was to evaluate the understanding Polish physicians have regarding electromagnetic fields (EMF), their knowledge of electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS), and their direct experiences with patients reporting EHS symptoms. - Researchers distributed a questionnaire both in traditional paper-based and online formats. - A total of 355 physicians from a variety of specialties and with different clinical and scientific backgrounds participated in the survey. Findings - Physicians' Knowledge: Both subjective and objective assessments showed that physicians' understanding of the health effects of EMF is limited. About one third rated their own knowledge as "very low" or "low". - Familiarity with Guidelines: Most respondents were unfamiliar with the World Health Organization's guidelines for responding to individuals who believe they are hypersensitive to EMF. - Willingness to Learn: Despite recognizing their own knowledge gaps, most physicians expressed a readiness to improve their qualifications regarding EMF and EHS. - Prevalence of EHS Encounters: EHS is encountered with alarming frequency in medical practice—almost 45% of physicians reported treating patients who attributed their symptoms to EMF. Some physicians encounter such patients several times per month or even more frequently. Conclusion These results highlight a concerning knowledge deficit among doctors about EMF and EHS, even as many patients report symptoms they connect to EMF exposure. This deficit compromises physicians' ability to assist effectively and may lead to the unintentional spread of unreliable information, increasing patient anxiety. The presence of EHS in clinical practice demonstrates the need for increased physician education and reliable public information about EMF, its risks, and potential health impacts.

AI evidence extraction

At a glance

Study type

Cross-sectional study

Effect direction

unclear

Population

Polish physicians

Sample size

355

Exposure

Evidence strength

Low

Confidence: 78% · Peer-reviewed: yes

Main findings

In a survey of 355 Polish physicians, both subjective and objective assessments indicated limited understanding of EMF health effects; about one third rated their knowledge as very low/low. Most respondents were unfamiliar with WHO guidelines for responding to people who believe they are hypersensitive to EMF, while many expressed willingness to learn; nearly 45% reported treating patients attributing symptoms to EMF.

Outcomes measured

Physicians' knowledge/understanding of EMF health effects (subjective and objective)
Familiarity with WHO guidelines for responding to individuals who believe they are hypersensitive to EMF
Willingness to improve qualifications regarding EMF/EHS
Frequency of physicians encountering/treating patients reporting electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) symptoms

Suggested hubs

who-icnirp (0.62)
Abstract reports physicians' unfamiliarity with World Health Organization guidelines for responding to individuals who believe they are hypersensitive to EMF.

View raw extracted JSON

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    "study_type": "cross_sectional",
    "exposure": {
        "band": null,
        "source": null,
        "frequency_mhz": null,
        "sar_wkg": null,
        "duration": null
    },
    "population": "Polish physicians",
    "sample_size": 355,
    "outcomes": [
        "Physicians' knowledge/understanding of EMF health effects (subjective and objective)",
        "Familiarity with WHO guidelines for responding to individuals who believe they are hypersensitive to EMF",
        "Willingness to improve qualifications regarding EMF/EHS",
        "Frequency of physicians encountering/treating patients reporting electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) symptoms"
    ],
    "main_findings": "In a survey of 355 Polish physicians, both subjective and objective assessments indicated limited understanding of EMF health effects; about one third rated their knowledge as very low/low. Most respondents were unfamiliar with WHO guidelines for responding to people who believe they are hypersensitive to EMF, while many expressed willingness to learn; nearly 45% reported treating patients attributing symptoms to EMF.",
    "effect_direction": "unclear",
    "limitations": [],
    "evidence_strength": "low",
    "confidence": 0.7800000000000000266453525910037569701671600341796875,
    "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
    "keywords": [
        "electromagnetic hypersensitivity",
        "EHS",
        "electromagnetic fields",
        "EMF",
        "physicians",
        "survey",
        "Poland",
        "public health",
        "knowledge gaps",
        "WHO guidelines"
    ],
    "suggested_hubs": [
        {
            "slug": "who-icnirp",
            "weight": 0.61999999999999999555910790149937383830547332763671875,
            "reason": "Abstract reports physicians' unfamiliarity with World Health Organization guidelines for responding to individuals who believe they are hypersensitive to EMF."
        }
    ]
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract/metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.

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