Attitudes Of Practitioners Research Articles

Correlates of Attitudes toward Sexual Minorities among Vietnamese Social Work Practitioners.

This article examines the correlates of Vietnamese social work practitioners' attitudes toward individuals who identify as lesbian or gay. This study, among the very few studies on the general topic in non-Western contexts and the first of its kind in Vietnam, investigates correlates of attitudes toward sexual minorities that are known in the literature. The data are drawn from a survey of 292 Vietnamese social work practitioners. The findings suggest that the attitudes of Vietnamese social work practitioners are associated with gender, educational attainment, level of social work education, practice experience, practice sector, professional contact with sexual minority clients, personal contact with sexual minorities, exposure to content on sexual minorities in social work courses and professional development activities, and independent learning activities about sexual minorities but not with age, religious affiliation, and marital status. Implications for social work education and practice are considered.

Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version of the Emiq-Hp (Exercise in Mental Illness Questionnaire-Health Professionals Version) to Investigate the Views of Health Professionals Regarding Exercise for Treatment of Mental Illness.

People with mental illness experience a significantly increased mortality rate, partly attributable to high rates of premature metabolic disease. Exercise is increasingly recognized as an evidence-based component of treatment for improving both physical and mental illness. Ensuring health care staff have the necessary competence to support and promote exercise is critical to successful implementation. The Exercise in Mental Illness Questionnaire-Health Professionals Version (EMIQ-HP) was developed to determine the knowledge, attitudes, barriers, and behaviors of health practitioners regarding the role of exercise in the treatment for mental illness. This study aimed to translate and validate the questionnaire into Italian language (EMIQ-HP-IT) and to determine its test-retest reliability. The questionnaire was translated from English to Italian then back translated using an established protocol. To determine the test-retest reliability of the EMIQ-HP-IT, mental health professionals from an Italian psychiatric hospital completed the questionnaire on two separate occasions, seven days apart. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated for each item. Twenty-five mental health professionals (4 psychiatrists, 9 psychologists, 10 nurses and 2 exercise specialists) completed the EMIQ-HP-IT. Except for two items, ICCs ranged from 0.48 to 0.92. The test-retest reliability of the EMIQ-HP-IT demonstrated comparable results to the English version. The EMIQ-HP-IT is a reliable measure of practitioners' knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors regarding exercise interventions for people with mental illness.

Implant practitioners' knowledge, awareness and attitudes regarding soft and hard tissue considerations at a single implant site: A questionnaire study.

The success of implant therapy depends on the proper evaluation of soft and hard tissues around implants, and the careful selection of biomaterials to manage the associated defects. To attain healthy peri-implant tissues, knowledge about evaluating and managing soft and hard tissues around dental implants is essential. The aim of the present study was to assess the knowledge, awareness and attitudes regarding soft and hard tissue considerations for single implant sites among the registered dental implant practitioners. The current survey was carried out among dental implant practitioners registered with the Indian Dental Association (IDA). A total of 49 specialists practicing implant dentistry for at least 1 year were included in the study. The survey was conducted using a census approach. A validated questionnaire was circulated digitally among the participants, with 3 rounds of follow-up. To fill in the questionnaire, the participants' consent was required. The study involved 14 general practitioners (GPs), 7 periodontists, 10 oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMFSs), 13 prosthodontists, and 5 certified implantologists. The majority of the participants (93.9%) felt that the soft tissue biotype would influence the treatment outcome (p < 0.05). Most of them (91.8%) evaluated the width of hard tissue at the implant site before surgery (p > 0.05), but only 77.6% of the population evaluated the bone width while considering the future prosthesis (p > 0.05). Although all participants placed implants, only 46.9% performed soft tissue augmentation by themselves (p < 0.001), whereas in the case of hard tissue augmentation, the percentage was 65.3% (p < 0.001). The study identified various knowledge gaps among different practitioners with different educational background. The educational background seemed to have played a significant role in their attitude toward the evaluation and management of soft and hard tissues around dental implants.

Knowledge and Perception of Orthodontic Treatment among General and Non-Orthodontic Dental Specialists: A Comparative Study.

The objective of this study is to discover any possible association of gender or practitioner classification with orthodontic knowledge and attitudes towards orthodontic treatment. Descriptive cross-sectional research was conducted on two groups of dentists in the Ha'il region of Saudi Arabia. Group I included general practitioners, while Group II had non-orthodontic specialists. The findings suggest a statistically significant (p < 0.05) difference between the knowledge and attitudes of general practitioners and non-orthodontic specialists. Independent two tailed t-scores for difference in Knowledge (t-score = 3.19919, p = 0.003) and Attitude (t-score = 2.16314, p = 0.048319), highlight significant disparities in the knowledge and attitudes of general practitioners and non-orthodontic specialists. However, no statistically significant difference was observed in terms of knowledge and attitudes based on gender differences. This study captures and highlights subtle information that is very significant in dealing with critically important orthodontics issues. The study suggests that it is possible that a non-orthodontic specialist may suggest an altogether different line of treatment with different consequences when compared to a general practitioner and vice versa. This may result in unwanted, permanent orthodontic effects, highlighting the significance of the early stage of orthodontic treatment awareness. This research reveals disparities between the perceptions of general practitioners and non-orthodontic specialists about the stage and relevance of orthodontic treatment. It is strongly advised to see an orthodontic expert rather than a general practitioner or non-orthodontic specialist for orthodontic issues.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of The Dental Practitioners About Temporomandibular Disorder in the Union Territory of Jammu &amp; Kashmir and Ladakh Region of India – A Cross – Sectional Study

Introduction: Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD) is a disorder including temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and of the masticatory muscles and their associated structures. TMD accounts for the most common orofacial pains arising from musculoskeletal origin or non-dental origin with a prevalence of 5-12% in the population.&#x0D; Aim: The aim of the current study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of the dental practitioners about temporomandibular disorder in the Union Territory of Jammu &amp; Kashmir and Ladakh region of India.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted wherein a self-structured questionnaire, which consisted of 31 close ended questions, was sent online via Google forms to the dental practitioners residing in the Union Territory of Jammu &amp; Kashmir and Ladakh region of India. A total of 500 subjects selected by Convenience sampling, were contacted for the study, out of which only 206 returned the completed questionnaire who were included in the study.&#x0D; Results: A statistical significance was noted between knowledge to practice (-0.22), knowledge to attitude (0.03) and between attitude and practice (-0.26), attitude to knowledge ( -0.03) and practice to knowledge (0.22), practice to attitude (0.26).&#x0D; Conclusion: The results obtained by analyzing data obtained in present study reflect that the knowledge of physiological anatomy along with the management of symptomatic TMD is insufficient.

Clinical Representation of the Different Rheumatological Manifestations of Diabetes

The various rheumatological clinical manifestations related to diabetes constitute a group of pathologies secondary to diabetes, regardless of the type of diabetes (type 1 or type 2), in most cases the manifestations are discovered at an advanced stage of diabetes, on average after 10 years of evolution. The different conditions of this group are frequent and diverse because they affect the majority of patients followed for diabetes. They are most often unrecognized or under-diagnosed in current practice, due to their clinical presentation which is characterized by a great polymorphism. These different manifestations can affect several structures of the locomotor system (bones, tendons, muscles, nerves or even joints and their synovial membranes) and constitute a real problem of differential diagnosis with the most commonly encountered rheumatological conditions. These clinical manifestations are either directly related to diabetes (chronic sustained hyperglycemia) or indirectly related to the various complications of diabetes; their prevalence is therefore correlated with poor glycemic control and/or the occurrence of other complications of diabetes. In this article, we describe the main rheumatological manifestations, their clinical and paraclinical diagnostic methods, their evolutionary profiles and their prevention as well as the different management in practice, and this will be a reminder in order to improve the practitioner's attitude towards the different clinical presentations of these affections.

Assessing knowledge, perceptions, awareness and attitudes on rare diseases among health care providers and health students in Mexico

Rare diseases (RDs) are serious and often fatal uncommon conditions with a high subjacent genetic origin. Since RD are not prevalent, knowledge regarding these diseases among health care providers and health students is scarce. The management of RD is often inadequate and precarious. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to assess the degree of knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of healthcare practitioners and students in Mexico. Herein we present a reliable questionnaire to assess the degree of knowledge, perceptions, awareness and attitudes of healthcare practitioners and students in Mexico with regard to RDs. The pilot study showed satisfactory levels of knowledge and significant differences in perceptions, awareness and attitudes among the study groups.

A mixed-methods evaluation of unconscious racial bias training for NHS senior practitioners to improve the experiences of racially minoritised students

ObjectiveThe degree awarding gap indicates that racially minoritised higher education students receive lower degree classifications relative to their white peers. While the reasons for this are complex, research suggests that...

Attitudes of Medical Practitioners towards Collaboration with Dental Professionals during a Pandemic: A Past Experience and a Future alert

Attitudes of Medical Practitioners towards Collaboration with Dental Professionals during a Pandemic: A Past Experience and a Future alert

Knowledge and attitude of dental practitioners on the use of denture adhesives: A questionnaire survey

Knowledge and attitude of dental practitioners on the use of denture adhesives: A questionnaire survey

Perspectives and Attitudes of General Practitioners Towards Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological COPD Management in a Belgian Primary Care Setting: A Qualitative Study.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex and heterogeneous condition that requires multidisciplinary management. In Belgium, the treatment of COPD is mainly managed by general practitioners (GPs). Several clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) recommend the use of non-pharmacological treatments, such as pulmonary rehabilitation, and interdisciplinary care for COPD patients. Although considerable research has been devoted to addressing the multitude of reasons for the lack of adherence to these aspects of the CPGs, less attention has been paid to understanding the perspectives and attitudes of GPs that lead to this suboptimal implementation. This study aimed to 1) explore Belgian GPs' perceptions regarding COPD management in a primary care setting and 2) collect their views on the importance of pulmonary rehabilitation and interprofessional care in COPD management. A descriptive study, conducted between August 2014 and May 2015, used interviews from a sample of 30 Flemish GPs. Data were analyzed following the principles of thematic analysis. COPD management was patient-centered, focusing on immediate symptom relief and reducing future risks through pharmacotherapy and proper patient education. Deviations from the CPGs were noted, with only a few GPs performing spirometry themselves. Conditions to prescribe respiratory physiotherapy were not well known. Some GPs remained unconvinced about the (cost-)effectiveness of respiratory physiotherapy despite the fast-expanding scientific evidence. Interprofessional care was limited to GP-respiratory physician (re)-referral and communication. GPs showed a reactive attitude towards interprofessional collaboration for non-pharmacological therapies, which is not in line with the proactive approach recommended in CPGs. GPs managed COPD patients mainly by reducing symptoms with pharmacological therapy. Integrated care regarding non-pharmacological treatments was not well implemented due to the obstacles in interprofessional collaboration. Future care models incorporating personalized care planning could provide a solution to manage COPD's complex healthcare demands.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Health Care Practitioners in Nigeria Towards the Use of Plants/Herbal Medicines in the Management of COVID-19

The purpose of this study is to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of Nigerian health care practitioners regarding the use of herbal medications in the therapy of COVID-19. This was an online survey of Nigerian healthcare practitioners. To assess the level of relationship among research variables, descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Many (77.1%) respondents are aware of claims of the use of herbal medicines for COVID-19, 22.9% of the respondents reported that herbal medicines can be used as cure for COVID-19 while 41.8% believed that herbal medicines can only be used to manage COVID-19 and its symptoms. Most (67.3%) respondents were of the opinion that herbal medicine use for the management of COVID-19 is controversial while 53.3% reported that the use of herbal medicine to manage COVID-19 cannot be substantiated. Majority (79.6%) doctors, (85.4%) nurses and 84.3% (pharmacist) were willing to support research into safety and efficacy of herbal medicines to manage COVID-19. Respondents' observed knowledge of the usage of herbal remedies for COVID-19 could be attributed to the growing awareness in herbal-based products/medicines.

General Practitioners' Awareness, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Antibiotic Resistance and Antimicrobial Management Programs

General Practitioners' Awareness, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Antibiotic Resistance and Antimicrobial Management Programs

Assessing and contrasting the knowledge, attitude, and practices related to dietary supplements and micronutrients in medical students and interns of a tertiary care hospital

Background: In recent times, dietary supplements have started playing a very critical role in overcoming the micronutrient deficiencies in a person. The health and well-being of medical practitioners itself are also important for them to efficiently carry out their practice. Moreover, their knowledge, attitude and practices influence their prescribing and treating tendencies. This study will demonstrate how the science of dietary supplements has advanced in relation to a number of nutrients, such as Vitamin A, iron, calcium, and folic acid. The health-care practitioners knowledge, attitude, and practices influence their prescribing and treating tendencies. Aims and Objectives: This study is done to assess and contrast the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Related to Dietary Supplements and Micronutrients in Medical Students and Interns of a Tertiary Care Hospital. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study conducted at a ESIC Medical College, KK Nagar, Chennai, which included 2nd year students and interns. A questionnaire containing questions that test theoretical knowledge of micronutrients, and assesses personal supplementation habits was prepared. All students within the sample were mailed the questionnaire and consent was sought electronically. Those not willing to give consent were excluded from the study. The responses of the questionnaire were linked to an Excel sheet and analyzed using Microsoft Access. During this process, utmost confidentiality of the information was maintained. Results: A total of 140 participants responded, with 82 of them undergoing phase 2 medical training and 58 of them undergoing internship. On the dietary front, 12.2% of 2nd year students as compared to 15.5% of CRMI students were vegetarian. About 34.1% of 2nd year students and 41.4% of CRMIs consumed nutrient supplements. About 14.7% of 2nd years and 10.3% of CRMIs consumed supplements daily. About 67.8% of 2nd year students and 54.1% of interns consumed dietary supplements after medical advice. Concerningly, 15.5% of all medical interns and 9.8% of all 2nd-year students self-prescribed health supplements. Most interns (54.1%) who consumed supplements did so to maintain adequate nutrition. Concerningly 42.8% of 2nd year students and 33.3% of interns consumed supplements to maintain good health. Vitamins either singly, or as multivitamin tablets were the most consumed supplements amongst both sections of the study group. Concerningly 48.8% of 2nd year students and 58.6% of interns felt that supplements are generally harmless; and around a third of both groups felt that health personnel should promote supplement use. Conclusion: Knowledge regarding micronutrient usage among medical students is good; however, there is scope for improvement, particularly in the area of micronutrient-related prevalent diseases. Both 2nd year students and CRMIs consumed nutrient supplements in lesser quantity and frequency than other health science student groups; and more than half of them did so after medical advice. Good health and nutrition were the main reasons for supplement consumption. Students and interns were quite favorable toward patient consumption of nutrient supplements. The teaching-learning process needs to address this.

General practitioners' knowledge, attitudes and practices towards health promotion in Morocco.

Health promotion (HP) is a part of the general practitioners' (GPs) competencies defined by the World Organization of Family Doctors. The implementation of HP in their practice is unsatisfactory. The aim of this study was to explore GPs knowledge, attitudes and practices in Morocco about HP at the primary healthcare services. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online self-administrated questionnaire including, knowledge, attitudes and practices of GPs toward HP. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were conducted. Two hundred and forty GPs responded to our questionnaires, the sex ratio was 1.12 with an average age of 40.46 ± 9.05 years. More than half of our participants perceived HP as a concept indistinct from prevention, 70.4% believed that HP refers to the biomedical model. On a Likert scale of 1-5, the level of HP knowledge was 2.71 ± 1.13. The most discussed topics with the population were tobacco, alcohol, overweight and obesity. Statistically significant association was found between the competencies of GPs in lifestyle behaviours and the practice of this competence. The knowledge of GPs remains insufficient, and their practices focus more on the areas in which they feel competent, which requires the implementation of specific training for the development of GPs skills in HP.

Level of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of General Physicians in West Java, Indonesia on Middle Ear Inflammation

Background: The prevalence of middle ear inflammation in West Java is still relatively high. General practitioners are at the forefront who see and treat the patients directly; thus, the number of cases can be reduced by increasing the competence of general practitioners. This study aimed to determine the level of knowledge, attitude, and practices of general practitioners in West Java towards middle ear inflammation, as an evaluation for improving health services in the community.Methods: This research was a descriptive study with a questionnaire conducted in August–December 2021 conducted online with a probability sampling technique of at least 368 general practitioners in West Java. The level of knowledge, attitude, and practices were calculated using the Guttman scale. The data were presented as a frequency distribution.Results: The results showed that the majority of the general practitioners still had poor knowledge of middle ear inflammation (n=325; 84.6%) as well as the attitude (n=333; 86.7%) and the level of practice (n=340; 88.5%).Conclusions: The level of knowledge, attitude, and practices of general practitioners in West Java towards middle ear inflammation is poor. Special interventions and approaches are needed to improve the competence of general practitioners in West Java based on the Standard Competency of Indonesian Doctors.

Addressing inequalities in the identification and management of perinatal mental health difficulties: The perspectives of minoritised women, healthcare practitioners and the voluntary sector.

Perinatal mental health (PMH) difficulties affect approximately one in five birthing women. If not identified and managed appropriately, these PMH difficulties can carry impacts across generations, affecting mental health and relationship outcomes. There are known inequalities in identification and management across the healthcare pathway. Whilst barriers and facilitators have been identified there is a lack of clarity about how these relate to the avoidable and unfair inequalities experienced by various groups of women. Further research is required to understand how to address inequalities in PMH. To understand the key factors that enable and hinder access to PMH care for women from minoritised groups across the PMH care pathway, and how these have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. A sequential mixed-methods approach gathered views and experiences from stakeholders in one region in northern England. This included an online survey with 145 NHS healthcare practitioners and semi-structured interviews with 19 women from ethnic minority and/or socio-economically deprived backgrounds who had experienced PMH difficulties, and 12 key informants from the voluntary and community sector workforce. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and framework analysis was applied to qualitative data. Barriers and facilitators were mapped using a socio-technical framework to understand the role of (i) processes, (ii) people (organised as women, practitioners and others), (iii) technology, and (iv) the system as a whole in deepening or alleviating inequalities. Influences that were identified as pertinent to inequalities in identification and management included provision of interpreters, digital exclusion, stigma, disempowerment, distrust of services, practitioner attitudes, data capture, representation in the workforce, narrow rules of engagement and partnership working. Stakeholder groups expressed that several barriers were further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings highlight the need for change at the system level to tackle inequalities across the PMH care pathway. Four inter-connected recommendations were developed to enable this systems change: building emotional safety between professionals and women; making PMH a part of core healthcare business; increasing cultural competency specific to PMH; and enhanced partnership working.

Knowledge, experiences, and attitudes of Australian General Practitioners towards medicinal cannabis: a 2021–2022 survey

BackgroundMedicinal cannabis (MC) products have been available on prescription in Australia for around six years. General practitioners (GPs) are at the forefront of MC prescribing and recent years have seen substantial increases in prescription numbers. This study examined the current knowledge, experiences, and attitudes of Australian GPs around MC. We also compared our findings to those of an earlier 2017 investigation.MethodWe conducted a cross-sectional study using a 42-item on-line questionnaire adapted from our earlier 2017 survey. The current survey was completed by GPs attending an on-line, multi-topic educational seminar. Australian GPs (n = 505) completed the survey between November 2021 and February 2022. Data were synthesised using descriptive statistics. MC ‘prescribers’ and ‘non-prescribers’ responses were compared using Pearson’s χ2 tests.ResultsWhile most GPs (85.3%) had received patient enquiries about MC during the last three months, only half (52.3%) felt comfortable discussing MC with patients. Around one fifth (21.8%) had prescribed a MC product. GPs strongly supported MC prescribing for palliative care, cancer pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and epilepsy, more so than in our 2017 survey. Prescribing for mental health conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety) and insomnia received less support. Opioids, benzodiazepines, and chemotherapy drugs were rated as more hazardous than MC. GPs correctly endorsed concerns around Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol-related driving impairment and drug-seeking behaviour. However, additional concerns endorsed around cannabidiol causing addiction and driving impairment do not agree with current evidence. Consistent with this, many GPs (66.9%) felt they had inadequate knowledge of MC.ConclusionAcceptance of MC as a treatment option has increased among Australian GPs since 2017. However, there is a clear need for improved training and education of GPs around cannabis-based medicines to provide increased numbers of skilled prescribers in the community.

Knowledge and Attitudes of Medical and Nursing Students in Greece Regarding Child Abuse and Neglect.

Data on the knowledge and attitudes of healthcare practitioners in training regarding child abuse and neglect (CAN) are scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge and attitudes regarding CAN of medical and nursing students in Greek universities. We performed a questionnaire-based e-survey on a convenience sample of students and recruited 609 students (366 medical and 243 nursing). An unsatisfactory level of knowledge in the field was reported overall. Most of the students (92.2%) were aware of their future responsibility to protect vulnerable children and report suspected cases of CAN; at the same time, they were willing to obtain further education. Based on the above, appropriate training in the undergraduate curriculum should be developed in order to strengthen future healthcare practitioners and boost their confidence in dealing with suspected cases of CAN and protect children's welfare.

Child abuse knowledge and attitudes among dentaland oral health therapists in Aotearoa New Zealand: a cross-sectional study.

Child abuse and neglect are significant social and health issues in New Zealand. As the government provides free oral care to children and adolescents, oral health practitioners are positioned to respond to child protection concerns. However, research on the knowledge and attitudes of oral health practitioners is limited. This study aimed to understand the knowledge and attitudes of New Zealand dental and oral health therapists in detecting and reporting child abuse and neglect. In this descriptive exploratory cross-sectional study, we invited registered New Zealand dental and oral health therapists treating children and adolescents to the anonymous online survey. Among the 92 dental and oral health therapists, 72% agreed that they could recognise the signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect. Yet, only 48% agreed they were familiar with the reporting process. During their professional careers, 62% had at least 1 suspected case; and only 21% had ever reported their concerns. Fear of false reporting (70%) was the most significant barrier. Participants understood child abuse and neglect as significant social issues; however, the knowledge and attitudes to respond were limited. Efforts to enhance the knowledge and attitudes will be necessary to promote child safety and wellbeing.