Knowledge and practice of physicians during COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in Lebanon

Linda Abou-Abbas,Rola Atoui,Rana El Haidari,Mohammad Chahrour,Youssef Fares,Zeina Nasser

doi:10.1186/s12889-020-09585-6

Linda Abou-Abbas, Rola Atoui + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09585-6

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Abstract

BackgroundAs the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to evolve, physicians must be equipped with adequate knowledge, skills on the prevention measures, and confidence in diagnosing and treating COVID-19 patients. Therefore, it is of great interest to assess the knowledge and practices of Physicians to identify existing gaps and improve occupational safety and viral surveillance.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in Lebanon between 28th March and 11th April 2020. Data was collected through an online survey that included information on socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, practice, physicians fear towards COVID-19 as well as their perceptions regarding actions/policies implemented by the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) and their health care facilities. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were carried out to identify the factors associated with good knowledge of COVID-19 and good practice toward its prevention. Adjusted odds ratio and their 95% confidence intervals were reported.ResultsOur survey revealed that the majority of Lebanese physicians had good knowledge about the disease (89.5%) while approximately half of the respondents adopted good preventive practices (49.7%). The odds of having good knowledge was 2.16 times higher among physicians aged 40 and above (adjusted OR = 2.16 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.08 to 4.34) compared to their counterparts aged less than 40 years old. Our results also showed that the odds of good practice was 2 times higher among frontline compared to the second line workers (adjusted OR = 2.01 with 95% CI of 1.21 to 3.34). Physicians with an experience of 10 years and above were 3.35 times more likely to have good practice compared to their counterparts (adjusted OR = 3.35 with 95% CI of 1.60 to 7.02). Finally, participants with good knowledge of COVID-19 were 2.04 times more likely to have a good practice (OR = 2.04 with 95% CI of 1.01 to 4.12).ConclusionLebanese physicians revealed a good level of knowledge; however, they had limited comprehension of the precautionary measures that protect them from this virus. Our findings have important implications for the development of strategies suitable for improving the level of practice among physicians and enhance prevention programs.

Highlights

As the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to evolve, physicians must be equipped with adequate knowledge, skills on the prevention measures, and confidence in diagnosing and treating COVID-19 patients
The odds of having good knowledge was 2.16 times higher among physicians aged 40 and above compared to their counterparts aged less than 40 years old (Table 5)
Our results showed that the odds of good practice was 2 times higher among frontline compared to the second line workers

Summary

Introduction

As the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to evolve, physicians must be equipped with adequate knowledge, skills on the prevention measures, and confidence in diagnosing and treating COVID-19 patients. Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which first emerged in China in December 2019, has turned into a worldwide disaster affecting at a rapid pace all the countries over the world [1, 2]. Given the nature and burden of COVID-19 pandemic, unprecedented challenges have faced governments, communities, and health care systems. Physicians, who are directly engaged in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of COVID-19 patients, are exposed to infection from aerosol and droplet contamination [4] and at high risk for nosocomial infections [5]. As COVID-19 pandemic continues, the death of physicians has been increasingly reported worldwide. A recent cross-sectional study published in April 2020 showed that 120 medical doctors have died due to COVID-19; 67 in Italy, 34 in China, 6 in France, 4 in the United Kingdome (UK), the United States of America (USA), and Spain and 1 in South Korea [6]

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