Awareness Of Health Workers Research Articles

IJCM_223A: Assessment of the Tuberculosis Surveillance System in Amethi district of Uttar Pradesh, India, 2023

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be one of the leading global causes of death. In 2022, globally 10.6 million TB cases were estimated, 28% from India. Uttar Pradesh (UP) has TB incidence rate of 210 per 100,000 population. Amethi district has a population of 21 lakhs and 10 TB units. We assessed the TB surveillance system in Amethi for its attributes and to provide recommendations for improvement. Objective: To describe and evaluate tuberculosis surveillance system in Amethi (UP) Recommendation to strengthen TB surveillance system. Methodology: We evaluated the timeliness and completeness of surveillance data of Amethi from the January to June 2023 through the online Nikshay portal. We assessed the timeliness for treatment started within three days of diagnosis and flow of monthly reports at every level. We assessed the data quality by completeness of information of the enrolled patients. We interviewed the Frontline Health Workers (FLW) from each blocks as per their availability during the time of filed visit regarding the knowledge about TB, symptoms, modes of spread and treatment selected. Results: Nikshay portal data had 1500 patient entries for Amethi during Jan- June 2023. The median age of the patients was 37 (range: Conclusion: The Amethi TB surveillance has a good timeliness and completeness in initiating TB treatment to those diagnosed; however, requires improvement for health workers awareness and reporting in the blocks. We recommended district to conduct yearly capacity building of FLW and conduct monthly review.

The Relationship Between Occupational Health and Safety Awareness of Health Workers and Work Efficiency

This study focused on analyzing the knowledge and attitudes of the staff members concerning occupational health and safety in the settings where surgical operations are executed and investigating the effect on their productivity. 
 The study was conducted in five public hospitals in Trabzon city center. The sample was calculated as 256 in 95% confidence interval by going through the total population including doctors, nurses and health technicians. Participation consent, institutional clearance, scientific research permit, and research ethics committee approval, which are necessary to conduct the study, were received from natural and legal entities accordingly. 
 The study results revealed that the knowledge level of the study group about occupational health and safety was 38.3% (good, excellent). If there is an occurrence of an occupational accident at the workplace, the influence rates of the participants' productivity were as follows: 73.8% mostly and always affected, 55.5% mostly and always experienced a decrease in the quality of work, and 89.1% mostly and always affected, emphasizing on employee health. The study findings indicated that occupational health and safety-related practices influence employee productivity.

Solid waste characteristics and management strategies at ST Theresa (STT) and Holy Cross (HC) hospitals in Chirumanzu rural District, Zimbabwe

AbstractManagement of solid waste from rural hospitals is among major problems affecting developing countries. This is mostly attributed to inadequate data related to quantity and quality of hospital solid waste. Similarly, information related to rural hospital solid waste characteristics and management is limited in Zimbabwe. However, SDGs complemented by Zimbabwe Vision 2030, NDS 1 advocates for sustainable solid waste management. Hence, enough data related to characteristics of solid waste from rural hospitals are required to attain sustainability. This research focuses on hospital solid waste characteristics and management strategies at STT and HC rural hospitals. Descriptive cross sectional research design which triangulates qualitative and quantitative paradigms was utilized. Interviews, observations, questionnaires were used to collect data. Quantitative data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences whereas qualitative data were subjected to content analysis. Solid waste generated at STT encompasses non-hazardous (77.35%), hazardous waste (22.65%). At HC solid waste consists of non-hazardous (79%) and hazardous waste (21%). Respondents at STT (70.4%) and HC (72.7%) noted that solid waste was increasing. Solid waste was increasing due to various factors namely high use of disposable materials at HC (35.1%), STT (42.5%) and increase of patients at HC (30%) and STT (29.7%). Solid waste was indiscriminately stored in various types of containers although pedal operated bins and sharp containers were highly used at STT (72.4%) and HC (69.1%). Waste receptacles were transported to disposal sites using wheelbarrows and manual handling. Open pits and burning were among disposal strategies but incineration was regarded as the golden approach at STT (44.8%) and HC (41.8%). Inappropriate hospital solid waste management was due to shortage of finance at STT (38.1%) and HC (30.9%) and unawareness among health workers. Although it was worsened by lack of all stakeholder participation at STT (79.0%) and HC (76.4%). Consequently, the study recommended application of strategies which support circular economy, integrated approach, raising awareness of health workers and provision of enough resources to rural hospitals.

Study on risk factors of mycobacterium tuberculosis infection among health workers in medical institutions

Objective: To understand the infection status of mycobacterium tuberculosis among health workers in tuberculosis designated medical institutions and explore the risk factors of infection. Methods: From September 2021 to June 2022, a questionnaire survey was conducted among health workers in relevant departments of 4 tuberculosis designated medical institutions by cluster stratified sampling, including the implementation of hospital infection control measures in medical institutions and occupational exposure of medical staff to mycobacterium tuberculosis. Peripheral blood interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs) and lung imaging examination were performed to determine the mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Factors with statistical significance in univariate analysis were included in multivariate logistic regression to analyze the risk factors of mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Results: A total of 657 people completed the lung imaging examination and questionnaire, of which 654 people had peripheral blood IGRAs detection, and the latent infection rate of tuberculosis was 39.45% (258/654) . Univariate analysis showed that age, sex, marital status, economic income, occupational category, professional title, length of service, and other variables had statistical significances in tuberculosis latent infection (P<0.05) . In terms of personal health status, there were statistically significant differences in the distribution of health workers in terms of their tuberculosis history, tuberculosis history of their immediate family members, previous tuberculin skin test (TST) (P<0.05) . Multivariate analysis showed that there were four risk factors related to tuberculosis, including professional title (X(1)) , years of tuberculosis related works (X(2)) , tuberculosis history (X(3)) and previous TST (X(4)) . The regression equation of the probability of tuberculosis among health workers was y=-1.920+0.246X(1)+0.046X(2)+1.231X(3)+0.478X(4). Conclusion: The latent infection rate of tuberculosis among health workers in tuberculosis designated medical institutions is high. It is necessary to strengthen the management of infection control, carry out regular screening, enhance the self-protection awareness of health workers, and reduce their exposure to mycobacterium tuberculosis and infection risk.

KEJADIAN LUAR BIASA POLIOMIELITIS DI INDONESIA PADA TAHUN 2022-2023: SUATU TINJAUAN

Indonesia achieved polio eradication along with several other members of the Southeast Asia Regional Organization (SEARO) in 2014 because it succeeded in overcoming the disease caused by the wild polio virus. Unfortunately since then Indonesia has experienced several reported outbreaks. This literature review aims to analyze the factors causing the re-emergence of poliomyelitis in Indonesia after being declared polio-free in 2014 and effective steps to stop outbreaks and prevent the re-emergence of poliomyelitis. Awareness of health workers and the public regarding polio must be increased so that Indonesia and the world can soon be polio-free. The last two outbreaks occurred in Indonesia in 2022 and 2023. The first outbreak in 2022 was in Pidie Regency, Aceh, Indonesia. In response to the poliomyelitis outbreak, the government immediately launched a simultaneous vaccination program. Since then no cases of poliomyelitis have been found until another case was found in December 2023 in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia. Once again, to respond to the poliomyelitis outbreak, the government held a simultaneous vaccination program in three districts, namely Pamekasan and Sampang, East Java and Klaten, Central Java. Followed after that by all regions in Central Java and East Java. It is expected that this quick response from the government can stop the outbreak again. The target of SubPIN (National Immunization Subweek) is to break the chain of transmission, so it must ensure that Outbreaks Response Immunization (ORI) coverage is high at least 95% and evenly distributed throughout the region. Apart from that, information to the public regarding the dangers of disease and the importance of complete vaccination to prevent disease must continue to be provided.

Assessment of Awareness, Attitude, and Consequences of Healthcare Waste Among Health Workers at Health Facilities In Southeast Nigeria

Healthcare waste which consists of waste materials generated at healthcare facilities is hazardous to both the environment and human life. However, many people are unaware of the dangers of medical wastes. Previous studies have neglected the assessment of the level of awareness and attitude of health workers toward healthcare waste. Therefore, this study assesses the level of awareness of healthcare workers about the dangers and their attitude toward the waste and its implications. The study, which employed cross-sectional design with 334 participants, was conducted in Southeast Nigeria. Data collection was through questionnaire and in-depth interview guide. Data analyzed through descriptive statistics revealed that the level of awareness of health workers about the dangers of healthcare waste is high; their attitude toward healthcare waste is poor; and that the consequences of mismanaged healthcare waste are devastating. Therefore, healthcare facilities should have a functional waste management policy, train their staff on ways of handling waste and educate the public about dangers of healthcare waste.

Moral distress and moral sensitivity in clinical nurses.

Health care providers are expected to have a certain moral sensitivity (MS) to make an ethical assessment. Moral distress (MD) is a common phenomenon in nursing. It can negatively affect nurses physically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between MD and MS among nurses using a cross-sectional descriptive design. The study was conducted in two stages. The first stage was a methodological study that analyzed validity and reliability of the Measure of MD-Healthcare Professionals. The second stage was a descriptive- predictive analysis that investigated the relationship between MD and MS. The MD intensity and frequency scores of the participants were high and moderately high, respectively. There was no direct effect on the total score and frequency of MS and MD. However, a direct and significant negative effect of MS was seen on the intensity of MD. Based on the results of this study, MS should be considered as a measure in studies aimed at understanding MD among clinical nurses. Empowerment programs should be established to increase the awareness of health workers about ethical and moral situations and to support them to cope with the problems they experience in these areas.

Tinjauan Kelengkapan Rekam Medis Rawat Inap di Rumah Sakit Umum Daerah Kembangan

The completeness of filling in the medical record can be checked using a documentation audit, one of which is quantitative analysis by reviewing certain parts of the contents of the medical record with the intention of finding deficiencies, especially those related to medical record documentation. The purpose of this study was to get an overview of the completeness of filling out inpatient medical records at the Kembangan Regional General Hospital. This research method uses a descriptive method with a quantitative approach. The population in this study were inpatient medical records at the Kembangan Regional General Hospital with a sample of 89 medical records. Based on the results of calculations using quantitative analysis obtained an average completeness of 82%, the highest completeness is the patient identification component of 87% and the lowest completeness is the important reporting component of 76%. Based on the research that has been done, it can be concluded that filling in the medical record at the Kembangan Regional General Hospital is not complete, this is due to the lack of awareness of health workers to complete filling in the medical record so that it has an impact on incomplete filling in medical record files

SAĞLIK ÇALIŞANLARININ STRATEJİK PLANLAMA FARKINDALIĞININ İNCELENMESİ

Strategic planning is a process in which all employees are mobilized to achieve the hospital's vision, goals, and bjectives and critical success indicators. The implementation of an effective strategic planning process depends on the awareness of the health professionals, who play an important role in the delivery of health services, as well as the hospital management. For this reason, it is essential for management sciences to understand which variables affect the strategic planning awareness of healthcare professionals. With this background, the aim of the research is to examine the strategic planning awareness of health workers in terms of various variables. The research is a cross-sectional and descriptive study. Data were collected by face-to-face survey method on 450 healthcare professionals working in private hospitals operating in Istanbul (Turkey). To test the construct validity of the scale, confirmatory factor analysis using the Amos program and explanatory factor analysis using the SPSS program were applied. It was determined that the strategic planning awareness of the senior management is higher than those who do not have administrative duties. In addition, it was found in the study that there was no significant difference in the strategic planning awareness of clinical unit employees and administrative unit employees. Strategic planning acts as a guide in shaping the future of hospitals. Health professionals, on the other hand, are in a position to undertake the most critical task in carrying hospitals to this future. For this reason, it is necessary to increase the strategic planning awareness of healthcare professionals by the hospital management.

P40 The effectiveness of contextualizing multimodal strategy on doctors to improve hand hygiene compliance in surgical wards at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria, Nigeria

Abstract Background Hospital acquired infection (HAI) is a major problem in healthcare delivery worldwide despite medical advances. A low HH compliance rate of 17.1% was found among surgical health workers at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) Zaria, Nigeria. Although hand hygiene (HH) is a proven low-cost means to curtail HAI, low HH compliance is a global reality. The WHO multimodal strategy attempts to address low HH compliance within the frame of contextual realities. Methods This was an interventional study utilizing action research through a mixed method approach to investigate the effectiveness of employing a contextualized multimodal strategy to enhance the HH compliance rate of doctors at ABUTH Zaria. The study was from August to October 2022. A behavioural change campaign (BCC) HH workshop was carried out on doctors, and data collection followed immediately in the surgical wards (i.e. clusters) that had received environmental modification through the provision HH posters and nurses for visual and verbal reminders, respectively. The four clusters were: visual reminders only, verbal reminders only, visual and verbal reminders combined and neither visual nor verbal reminders (i.e. control). All clusters received an uninterrupted supply of alcohol-based hand rubs (ABHR) throughout the study period. The HH observation proforma for ‘five moments of HH’ template was used to collect the quantitative data through direct observation while qualitative data were by one-on-one interviews on doctors in surgical wards at ABUTH Zaria. Results The cumulative HH compliance rate by doctors was 69% (N = 1774). This was significantly different from the baseline HH compliance rate of 17.1% before this study’s intervention (P &amp;lt; 0.0001, C. I. 45.5% to 57.7%). HH was observed from doctors most in wards with both visual and verbal reminders (78%) while lowest (59%) where visual and verbal reminders were not provided, i.e. C4 (n = 444). Compared with the baseline HH compliance, all interventions were significant. However, compared with C4, visual reminders only (C1) had insignificant effect on influencing the HH practice of doctors while visual and verbal reminders combined. Verbal reminders only (C2) were found to be as effective as when combined with visual reminders (78%) as the difference was statistically insignificant (P = 0.4791, CI −3.5% to 7.5%, χ2 = 0.5). However, all doctors reported being motivated to perform HH by the presence of ABHR which was similar to the significance found even in the ward where no verbal or visual reminders (59%, n = 444) were used compared with the baseline (17%, n = 286) before this intervention study (P &amp;lt; 0.0001, CI 35% to 48%, χ2 = 125). All respondents reported hearing about the HH behavioural change workshop even though only one attended. Conclusions Continuous workshop on HH is necessary to sustain awareness of health workers on the importance of hand hygiene. The presence of ABHRs alone was enough motivation for doctors to perform HH but verbal reminders were significant in sustaining this positive attitude towards HH. A scaling of this intervention is needed in other departments so that staff can have changes made to their values towards healthcare delivery as well at ABUTH Zaria. Contextualizing the WHO multimodal strategy is an efficient and acceptable means of addressing the problem of low HH compliance.

Medical solid waste management status in Zimbabwe.

In Zimbabwe, management of medical solid waste is emerging as a visible dilemma. This is attributed to population explosion as well as outbreak of diseases and spread of already existing diseases which accelerate volume of medical solid waste generated by medical facilities. Consequently, the overarching objective of this paper was to review medical solid waste management status in Zimbabwe utilising published documents. The literature demonstrated that medical solid waste generated in Zimbabwe encompasses pathological, pharmaceutical, chemical, infectious, cytotoxic, sharps and general waste. Management approaches used by medical facilities are marred with inappropriateness as shown by storage, collection, conveyance and disposal of non-segregated waste. Verdicts of the study depict that open pit dumping, landfills, incineration, burying, open burning, ottoway pits and open dumpsites are discarding strategies used. However, these strategies pose water, air and soil pollution, therefore, impacting the ecosystem and humanity. Findings indicated that infectious diseases, respiratory diseases, gastro-intestinal problems and injuries emanate due to poor management of medical waste. The roots of unsafe management of medical solid waste include inadequate finance, weak enforcement of legislation, ignorance among health workers and waste workers as well as non-participatory approach in decision making. Zimbabwe is recommended to direct funds to medical solid waste, increase awareness of health workers through trainings and education and reinforcing enforcement of legislation linked to medical solid waste among others.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices related to Covid-19 among health professionals in El Jadida Province, Morocco.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns were raised about the lack of knowledge and awareness of health workers (HW) in hampering the implementation of COVID-19 preventive strategies in hospitals. This cross-sectional study aims to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of the health workers related to COVID-19 in Moroccan hospitals and health facilities. We administered an adapted questionnaire to 242 HW working in Azemmour and El Jadida hospital (two sites) and in 41 health centers in El Jadida province. We carried out a bivariate analysis and used contingency tables and logistic regression models to identify factors associated with different KAP levels. We found that 90.1%, 8.3% and 60.3% of HW had respectively high levels of knowledge, risk perception attitudes and preventive practices towards COVID-19. High level of knowledge was associated with gender (OR: 0.267; 95% CI: 0.113-0.634; p=0.002), and professional profile (p<0.001). Levels of attitudes were associated with gender (OR: 17.143; 95% CI: 5.450-53.932; p<0.001) whereas levels of preventive practices were associated with position of the HW in COVID-19 (frontline or not frontline) (OR: 0.404; 95% CI: 0.236-0.691; p=0.001) and the overworked status of the HW (OR: 0.421; 95% CI: 0.242-0.730; p=0.002). Professionals' knowledge and practice levels were higher than their COVID-19 risk perception attitudes. Therefore, efforts should be made to improve the attitudes of health professionals.

KNOWLEDGE OF GENERAL DOCTORS OF PRIMARY HEALTH SERVICE FACILITIES IN SEMARANG CITY ABOUT DEMENTIA IN SEMARANG CITY

Background. Dementia is a syndrome due to brain disease, usually chronic or progressive and there is a disturbance of sublime function. Lack of knowledge and awareness of health workers about the occurrence of dementia can worsen dementia due to delays in diagnosis and treatment. Method. This study is a descriptive study with a cross sectional design involving 66 respondents who have agreed to the informed consent and are general practitioners who work in Primary Health Care Facilities. Sampling using consecutive sampling technique, samples that meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data collection was carried out in November 2021. Data analysis used SPSS 22.0 ver. Results. The average knowledge of respondents before the training was described from the pretest score of 5.2. Conclusion. Lack of knowledge about dementia in general practitioners who work in primary health care facilities in the Semarang.

Knowledge and attitude of peripheral health workers regarding Non-Communicable diseases in a Rural area of Rajasthan

Background: Mortality due to Non communicable disease (NCD) has increased from 50% to 60% in India from 2004 to 2014. Increasing mortality due to NCD has compelled Government of India to launch a national program (NPCDCS). This program has involved peripheral health workers hence this study was conducted to assess level of knowledge and attitude of peripheral health workers working in rural area of CHC Naila regarding NCDs. Methods: Present study was conducted at CHC Naila, Rajasthan, during June to Dec 2019. All (38) peripheral health staff working under CHC Naila were assessed and categorised regarding NCD and NPCDCS program. Results: Majority (77%) peripheral health workers had more than ten years of field experience. All have heard about NPCDCS program and type of NCDs covered under it. they were aware of sign &amp; symptoms of common NCDs, however 18.42% of these were not aware of their role of community awareness about risk factors of NCDs and conducting regular screening. Conclusion: Though the level of awareness of health workers regarding type of NCDs, its consequences and risk factors was good however skill development training is needed so that they can screen people effectively and motivate them for healthy life style for optimum result.

Much research, but little learned to date: A scoping review of the methodological quality of research on mental health of healthcare professionals in low- and lower-middle income countries

Background: SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in widespread awareness of health workers’ work realities and their mental health impacts, and corresponding unprecedented research effort. Reviews of the quantitative literature on mental health of clinical skilled healthcare personnel in low- and lower-middle income countries (LLMIC), however, point at quality issues in the pre-pandemic literature. We used the evidence generated in the context of one pre-pandemic review to understand methodological strengths and weaknesses in detail, with the aim of distilling recommendations for future research. Methods: Our study used the literature identified in a systematic search up to the end of 2020, in English or French language, in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, Global Health, and CAIRN. Following a scoping review approach, we extracted and charted data on key study characteristics as well as on study quality. In regard to the latter, we developed nine quality criteria on the basis of existing quality checklists, but expanding on issues of particular relevance to the measurement and interpretation of levels of mental health or illness. We collated the charted data in descriptive fashion. Results: We included data from 152 studies, assessing a range of mental health outcomes, with a focus on burnout. Most studies were conducted in India, Nigeria, Pakistan, or Egypt, in urban secondary- and tertiary-care settings. We judged only 20% of studies as of high quality due to shortcomings particularly regarding sample representativeness, context-specific measurement tool validity, and reporting of methodological detail. Conclusion: We conclude that despite its impressive size, we can learn comparatively little from the body of literature up to the end of 2020 due to limitations in quality. Based on our findings, we outline areas for expansion, methodological improvement, and standardization of reporting in future research. PROSPERO Registration: CRD42019140036.

Barriers to breast cancer screening in Iranian females: a review article

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies among females in Iran. Screening and detection in the early stages can increase the likelihood of breast cancer treatment and prognosis, thereby decreasing the mortality rate and promoting patient survival. However, mass screening programs for breast cancer are still confronted by predominant barriers in Iran. We tried to review and recognize the barriers to breast cancer screening and early detection in Iranian females as the main research question. We searched all available databases, and screened manuscripts for eligibility according to our inclusion/exclusion criteria. The search strategy was based on the following keywords: Breast, Malignancy, Cancer, Screening, Early Detection, Mammography, Iran, and Barrier. Responsible authors performed a literature review and compiled the results into a report. Various perceived barriers at different levels (individual, intrapersonal, health systems, and community) play influential and pivotal roles in women’s decisions to participate in breast cancer screening programs to facilitate early detection. Lack of awareness, neglect, procrastination, embarrassment, religious beliefs, and lack of primary health workers awareness and recommendation were cited as perceived barriers in screening procedures in Iran. There are still barriers in performing mammography at population levels in five major dimensions including availability, accessibility, cost, fears, and acceptability. However, the rate of regular mammography utilization in Iran is low compared with other countries and needs increasing through informing women. Many perceived barriers can affect women’s willingness and self-efficacy in screening procedures and one of the most effective ways of overcoming these barriers is to increase women’s awareness.

Safety awareness of health workers in the fght against COVID-19

Safety awareness of health workers in the fght against COVID-19

The situation awareness of health workers about needlestick and sharp injuries at hospital

Background: The nosocomial infection occurs in patients who are under medical treatments in hospitals or other health facilities, which has not yet occurred at the time of admission. This infection can occur as delivering treatments for other diseases; and even after the patients has returned from the hospital.The purpose of this study is to analyze the effectiveness of an education about the danger of needlestick to the situational awareness of health workers regarding the needlestick and sharp injuries in hospitals.&#x0D; Method: This study is a quasi-experiments with pretest and post-test control group design. The samples of this study was collected using purposive sampling with 98 respondents in the experiment group and 29 respondents in the control group. The data were analyzed by Wilcoxon and Independent sample T test. Meanwhile, the data were collected by questionnaires.&#x0D; Result: The measurement results of the situation awarenessin the control group, mean is 45.31, and SD is 3.57; in the treatment group, mean is 46.77, and SD is 4.04.The differences of the situation awareness of needlestick and sharp objects in the control group, before and after education, is p = 0.981 (&gt; 0.05); the result is not significant. The differences of the situation awareness of needlestick and sharp objects in the treatment group, before and after education, is p = 0.001 (&lt;0.05); the result is significant. The differences of the situation awareness in control group and treatment group, after education, is p = 0.001 (&lt;0.05); the result is significant.&#x0D; Conclution: The education about the prevention of needlestick and sharp objects on health workers is effective to raise the situation awareness about the danger of needlestick and sharp objects in health workers in hospitals.&#x0D; Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.20(4) 2021 p.774-778

ALMANİYA İLƏ AZƏRBAYCAN ARASINDA “TİBBİ TURİZM” SAHƏSİ ÜZRƏ ƏMƏKDAŞLIQ İMKANLARI

Development cooperation between Germany and Azerbaijan continues to develop relations in the field of medical tourism, as well as in many areas of tourism. This cooperation serves to further increase the opportunities in the field of medical tourism between the two countries and seeks to strengthen German-Azerbaijani medical tourism cooperation. The German healthcare system has a strong international reputation for its quality, and the medical technology and treatment options available in Germany are at the most modern level. For these reasons, it is important for Azerbaijan to benefit from German medical tourism practice and to study the available medical technology and treatment options. Conferences, events and scientific discussions are held between Germany and Azerbaijan to ensure the long-term development of this cooperation. Such events are very important in increasing the awareness of health workers and developing internship opportunities between the two countries. In accordance with the topic of the article, research has been conducted in the field of medical tourism in Germany, and the existing purposeful opinions and ideas on the application of new projects to Azerbaijan have been included the topic. Key words: Medical tourism, high medical service, Health Clinic, Senior Expert Services, Ms. Heike Muskel, German-Azerbaijani Business Forum, German health system

Awareness Levels of Health Technician Candidates About the Knowledge and Prevention Ways of the New Type Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

Introduction: World Health Organization declared a disease as pandemic caused by a newly identified β-coronavirus, and named it as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The awareness of health workers about their knowledge, behavior, and attitudes about COVID-19 is vital to find an effective solution to this pandemic disease. Therefore, in this study, it was aimed to reveal the awareness levels of health technician candidates about the knowledge and prevention ways of COVID-19. Materials and Methods: A total of 906 health technician candidates studying at Gazi University participated in the study. A questionnaire form prepared according to the literature was sent to the candidates via e-mail. The data were analyzed using Kruskal Wallis, Mann Whitney U, and correlation tests. Results: A moderate positive correlation (r= 0.512, p= 0.000) was determined between the anxiety level of COVID-19 and the anxiety level of COVID-19 against the precautions taken by the world. The precautions in the world in first-year students, the scores of knowledge in graduates, and disease prevention ways in women were found to be higher (p< 0.05). The precautions sufficiency in the world and in Turkey and the scores of knowledge were significantly (p< 0.05) different among the programs. Conclusion: Health technicians candidates had a good level of knowledge about COVID-19 as well as a high awareness of the precautions to be taken for the current pandemic disease. Moreover, candidates’ anxiety levels were found to be high, in particular of those with chronic diseases and the female gender. Despite being worried about the disease, candidates found the precautions taken by Turkey more sufficient than the world. In this respect, the candidates trust their country’s health policies. Consequently, this study revealed that the investigations about awareness should be carried out more comprehensively in Turkey to take precautions and to produce solutions for pandemic diseases.