Knowledge Items Research Articles

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of patients with oral diseases toward oral examinations: a cross-sectional survey study.

Properly adhering to oral hygiene and medical care is an important public health issue. Several studies examined the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward oral care in various populations and generally reported relatively sufficient knowledge but unfavorable attitudes and poor practice. However, no previous studies have examined the KAP toward oral examinations among Chinese patients with oral diseases. This study aimed to examine the KAP toward oral examinations among patients with oral diseases in China. This cross-sectional study was conducted in patients with oral diseases who visited The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Tongji University between December 2023 and February 2024. Data collection and KAP scores assessment were performed using a self-designed questionnaire. A total of 519 valid questionnaires were included, with 292 females. The mean knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 6.42 ± 2.47 (possible range: 0-9 points), 35.04 ± 5.68 (possible range: 10-50 points), and 16.22 ± 2.05 (possible range: 4-20 points), respectively, indicating sufficient knowledge, positive attitudes, and proactive practice. Pearson's correlation analysis showed that knowledge was positively correlated to attitude (r = 0.468, p < 0.001) and practice (OR = 0.416, p < 0.001). Attitude was positively correlated to the practice (r = 0.503, p < 0.001). Moreover, the structural equation model showed that knowledge influenced attitude (estimate = 1.010, p < 0.001) and practice (estimate = 0.169, p < 0.001). Attitude influenced practice (estimate = 0.122, p < 0.001). The frequency of oral examination per year influenced knowledge (estimate = -0.761, p < 0.001) and practice (estimate = -0.515, p < 0.001). Expenses for oral disease per year influenced attitude (estimate = 0.537, p < 0.001). Patients with oral disease might have sufficient knowledge, positive attitude, and proactive practice toward oral examinations. Specific knowledge items were identified to require improvements.

DCIS knowledge of women choosing between active surveillance and surgery for low-risk DCIS

BackgroundDuctal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) can progress to invasive breast cancer (IBC), but often never will. As we cannot predict accurately which DCIS-lesions will or will not progress to IBC, almost all women with DCIS undergo breast-conserving surgery supplemented with radiotherapy, or even mastectomy. In some countries, endocrine treatment is prescribed as well. This implies many women with non-progressive DCIS undergo overtreatment. To reduce this, the LORD patient preference trial (LORD-PPT) tests whether mammographic active surveillance (AS) is safe by giving women with low-risk DCIS a choice between treatment and AS. For this, sufficient knowledge about DCIS is crucial. Therefore, we assessed women's DCIS knowledge in association with socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. MethodsLORD-PPT participants (N = 376) completed a questionnaire assessing socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, risk perception, treatment choice and DCIS knowledge after being informed about their diagnosis and treatment options. Results66 % of participants had poor knowledge (i.e., answered ≤3 out of 7 knowledge items correctly). Most incorrect answers involved overestimating the safety of AS and misunderstanding of DCIS prognostic risks. Overall, women with higher DCIS knowledge score perceived their risk of developing IBC as being somewhat higher than women with poorer knowledge (p = 0.049). Women with better DCIS knowledge more often chose surgery whilst most women with poorer knowledge chose active surveillance (p = 0.049). DiscussionOur findings show that there is room for improvement of information provision to patients. Decision support tools for patients and clinicians could help to stimulate effective shared decision-making about DCIS management.

Development and Validation of a Micronutrients Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Questionnaire for Adolescents Using Psychometric Analysis.

Introduction The development of a questionnaire that measures knowledge, attitude, and practices towards micronutrients will help to develop nutrition intervention programs. The present study aimed to develop and assess the validity and reliability of a questionnaire on knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) on micronutrients in adolescents in India. Methods A total of 150 adolescent girls participated in the study. The literature was reviewed to formulate an initial draft of a questionnaire (122 items). Face and content validity were measured by participants and subject experts, respectively, and the content validity index was calculated. Construct validity was assessed using the principal component method of exploratory factor analysis.Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were determined by Cronbach's α value and interclass correlation coefficient correlations, respectively. Results The content validity index for all items except eight items from thepractice subscalewas satisfactory. Face validity results showed that participants understood all items. Exploratory factor analysis suggested a four-factor construct (perceived susceptibility and severity, perceived benefits, readiness to change, and perceived barrier) in the attitude subscale. Internal consistency for knowledge, attitude, and practice items were 0.980, 0.840, and 0.930, respectively. For knowledge and attitude items, interclass correlation coefficient correlation estimates ranged between 0.705 to 0.987 and 0.775 to 0.997, respectively, whereas for practice items, it ranged from 0.701 to 0.945. In the final questionnaire, 134 items consisting of 33 knowledge, 21 attitudes, and 80 practices (55 dietary practices and 25 other practices related to micronutrients) were included. Conclusion The results provided evidence of the validity and reliability of the questionnaire on micronutrients and that can be used to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices on micronutrients in adolescents.Further studies in different diverse settings are recommended.

Development of an Instrument to Assess Health and Social Care Professionals' Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Later-Life Intimacy and Sexuality (HSCP-KALLIS): A Delphi Study.

We aimed to ascertain the content validity of an instrument to assess health and social care professionals' knowledge and attitudes towards later-life intimacy and sexuality (HSCP-KALLIS). For older adults, intimacy and sexuality are important in maintaining their quality of life and well-being. However, addressing these needs remains challenging for health and social care professionals, particularly for nursing staff providing 24-h direct care to older people with dementia or those identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex or queer/questioning individuals. Existing instruments assessing knowledge and attitudes towards later-life intimacy and sexuality are dated and fail to adequately address dementia and sexual diversity. A two-round modified Delphi study was conducted. Initially, 79 knowledge and attitude items were generated through an integrative review. Panellists rated each item's clarity and importance using online questionnaires. The content validity index for the individual and overall items was calculated. The panellists' written feedback-along with their knowledge level of later-life intimacy and sexuality-was obtained. Panellists included health and social care professionals (n = 9); healthcare-related educators (n = 2); researchers specialising in later-life intimacy, sexuality, dementia care and sexual diversity support (n = 7); and family carers of older people with dementia (n = 2). The instrument was revised based on the feedback received. The components of dementia, LGBTIQ+ and the provision of sex worker services in healthcare settings were highlighted by the panellists. Notably, 46 knowledge and 40 attitude items fulfilled the consensus criteria for clarity and importance. Acceptable content validity was established for the knowledge and attitude items. Further research is required to establish the psychometric properties of the HSCP-KALLIS. This instrument has implications for clinical practice-specifically, in nursing care-by addressing issues to improve awareness regarding later-life intimacy and sexuality in healthcare settings. The HSCP-KALLIS has the potential to inform the educational needs regarding knowledge and attitudes towards later-life intimacy and sexuality for health and social care professionals, specifically nursing staff. The findings of the HSCP-KALLIS can be used for the development of competencies for later-life intimacy and sexuality, establishing policies and guidelines to support older adults' intimacy and sexuality needs in health care settings.

Nurses' evidence-based knowledge and self-efficacy in venous access device insertion and management: Development and validation of a questionnaire.

To develop and psychometrically test an instrument to assess nurses' evidence-based knowledge and self-efficacy regarding insertion and management of venous access devices (short peripheral catheter (SPC), long peripheral catheter/midline (LPC) and PICC) and the management of totally implantable central venous catheter (Port) in adult patients. Multicenter cross-sectional observational study with questionnaire development and psychometric testing (validity and reliability). An evidence-based instrument was developed including a 34-item knowledge section and an 81-item self-efficacy section including four device-specific parts. Nineteen experts evaluated content validity. A pilot study was conducted with 86 nurses. Difficulty and discrimination indices were calculated for knowledge items. Confirmatory factor analyses tested the dimensionality of the self-efficacy section according to the development model. Construct validity was tested through known group validity. Reliability was evaluated through Cronbach's alpha coefficient for unidimensional scales and omega coefficients for multidimensional scales. Content validity indices and results from the pilot study were excellent with all the item-content validity indices >0.78 and scale-content validity index ranging from 0.96 to 0.99. The survey was completed by 425 nurses. Difficulty and discrimination indices for knowledge items were acceptable with most items (58.8%) showing desirable difficulty and most items (58.8%) with excellent (35.3%) or good (23.5%) discrimination power, and appropriate to the content. The dimensionality of the model posited for self-efficacy was confirmed with adequate fit indices (e.g., comparative fit index range 0.984-0.996, root mean square error of approximation range 0.054-0.073). Construct validity was determined and reliability was excellent with alpha values ranging from 0.843 to 0.946 and omega coefficients ranging from 0.833 to 0.933. Therefore, a valid and reliable tool based on updated guidelines is made available to evaluate nurses' competencies for venous access insertion and management.

Attitudes, knowledge, and risk perceptions of patients who received elective genomic testing as a clinical service

PurposeElective genomic testing (EGT) is increasingly available clinically. Limited real-world evidence exists about attitudes and knowledge of EGT recipients. MethodsAfter web-based education, patients who enrolled in an EGT program at a rural nonprofit health care system completed a survey that assessed attitudes, knowledge, and risk perceptions. ResultsFrom August 2020 to April 2022, 5920 patients completed the survey and received testing. Patients most frequently cited interest in learning their personal disease risks as their primary motivation. Patients most often expected results to guide medication management (74.0%), prevent future disease (70.4%), and provide information about risks to offspring (65.4%). Patients were “very concerned” most frequently about the privacy of genetic information (19.8%) and how well testing predicted disease risks (18.0%). On average, patients answered 6.7 of 11 knowledge items correctly (61.3%). They more often rated their risks for colon and breast cancers as lower rather than higher than the average person but more often rated their risk for a heart attack as higher rather than lower than the average person (all P < .001). ConclusionPatients pursued EGT because of the utility expectations but often misunderstood the test’s capabilities.

Latent profiles of adolescents’ digital skills across six European countries

Digital skills are considered critical for functioning in contemporary society, yet there are differences between adolescents’ skills depending on demographic and socioeconomic variables. This study, utilising data from six EU countries ( N = 6221; Mage = 14.5; SD = 1.4), takes a person-oriented approach to examine adolescents digital skill profiles and associations with socioeconomic, digital activity, and socioemotional antecedents. Using latent profile analyses with tests of similarity across countries, we identified five profiles: All-rounders, Informationists, Content Creators, Communicators, and No high skills. The All-rounders reported the highest proportions of skills at a high level (~77–87%) across all dimensions and performed best across digital knowledge items, but Communicators were the largest profile across countries which showed adept acquisition (~67%) of high skills only regarding communication and interaction skills. Among the most important antecedents predicting high digital skills were being male, using computers, and having strong self-efficacy.

Safe food handling knowledge and practices of Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin cafeteria food handlers

Food safety has become a huge concern among health authorities in Malaysia due to the serious impact of foods being mishandled during preparation, processing, or storage, especially in food service environments. Therefore, this study was conducted to study knowledge and practices of safe food handling among Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) cafeteria food handlers. In this study, the questionnaires were modified from the previous study and distributed to fifty-five respondents who were selected using a convenience sampling method. The result was analysed and computed by using IBM SPSS version 21.0. This study found the average mean scores for all twenty items of knowledge towards safe food handling among food handlers involved in this study was 17.89±2.96. This indicates the majority of 87.3% (n = 48) respondents had ‘good’ knowledge while 7.3% (n = 4) respondents had ‘fair’ knowledge and another 5.5% (n = 3) had ‘poor’ knowledge score towards safe food handling. Besides, the majority of respondents had ‘good’ practices while none of the respondents had ‘poor’ and ‘fair’ score levels towards practices of safe food handling. The average mean score of practices toward safe food handling among food handlers involved in this study was 25.16±1.32. The results showed a positive correlation between the safe food handling knowledge and practices of UniSZA cafeteria’s food handler (p-value = 0.013). In conclusion, according to the score levels of safe food handling knowledge among food handlers of UniSZA cafeteria, the result revealed that the majority of the food handlers had a good level of knowledge and practices towards safe food handling. Good knowledge and the right practice among food handlers in their working premises would help to ensure that more harm to food can be avoided.

Development and validation of a structured questionnaire to assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) regarding the effect of yoga on periodontal health among Indian adults.

Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of structures surrounding the teeth. Its etiology is multifactorial. The primary etiological factor is the microbial component; the other factors are systemic, behavioral, environmental, and psychological. Conventional management includes routine periodontal therapy involving prophylactic and surgical management. In developing countries like India, complementary medicine and alternative medicines like yoga are gaining popularity for improving systemic health. Hence this pilot study was designed to assess the psychometric properties of a structured questionnaire that can assess knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding the impact of yoga on oral and periodontal health in Indian population. The KAP questionnaire was developed (Stage One) using a deductive approach, and a psychometric evaluation of the questionnaire was performed to evaluate it's reliability and validity (Stage Two). Initial content validation and test re-test reliability were assessed using kappa statistics with binary responses. An intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess the questions in the practice and attitude category with categorical variables. Further assessment of psychometric properties of the questionnaire was done using item response theory. The developed questionnaire had four principal sections: demography of participants; knowledge regarding yoga and oral health; attitude towards yoga and oral health; and practice towards implementing yoga for oral health. The ICC for all the assessed questions was greater than 0.60 suggesting satisfactory stability. Internal consistency measured using Cronbach's alpha for knowledge, attitude, and practice items were reported to be 0.632, 0.923, and 0.591 respectively and that of the KAP total was 0.632. The findings of this study showed that the questionnaire had an acceptable psychometric property for measuring KAP regarding yoga and it's role in oral and periodontal health among Indian adults. The analysis of participant responses revealed that they had a medium level of knowledge regarding yoga and periodontal disease.

Equivalent user experience and improved community augmented meta-analyses knowledge for a new version of a Plain Language Summary guideline

Plain Language Summaries (PLS) offer a promising solution to make meta-analytic psychological research more accessible for non-experts and laypeople. However, existing writing guidelines for this type of publication are seldom grounded in empirical studies. To address this and to test two versions of a new PLS guideline, we investigated the impact of PLSs of psychological meta-analyses on laypeoples’ PLS-related knowledge and their user experience (accessibility, understanding, empowerment). In a preregistered online-study, N = 2,041 German-speaking participants read two PLSs. We varied the inclusion of a disclaimer on PLS authorship, a statement on the causality of effects, additional information on community augmented meta-analyses (CAMA) and the PLS guideline version. Results partially confirmed our preregistered hypotheses: Participants answered knowledge items on CAMA more correctly when a PLS contained additional information on CAMA, and there were no user experience differences between the old and the new guideline versions. Unexpectedly, a priori hypotheses regarding improved knowledge via the use of a disclaimer and a causality statement were not confirmed. Reasons for this, as well as general aspects related to science communication via PLSs aimed at educating laypeople, are discussed.

Remote mental health first aid training for correctional officers: A pilot study.

Mental health first aid (MHFA) training is a low-cost, evidence-based intervention that teaches trainees to recognize signs of mental distress. Thirty correctional officers (COs) were recruited to participate in a remote MHFA intervention study. The COs were divided into three MHFA training sessions, with no more than 10 COs per group. Data collection assessments included pretest and posttest surveys and a focus group meeting. Of the 30 eligible CO participants, 27 completed the study, including follow-up assessments. Nine COs participated in a focus group meeting-one third (n = 9) of the CO participants identified as female, and the remaining identified as male. Most CO participants self-identified as White (n = 17), and two thirds (n = 18) of the CO participants were 35-54 years old. There was a strong military influence, with about close to half (48%) of COs identifying as a veteran. A paired sample t test was used to analyze whether there were any differences in mental health knowledge scores from pre- and postintervention. There were no significant differences between the pre- and postintervention results for the five MHFA knowledge items. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to analyze differences in pre- and postintervention data for mental health referral items. From pre- to posttraining, COs reported that it would be easier to make a mental health referral for someone experiencing a mental health challenge (Z = -2.087, p = .037). At 12 weeks, COs referred 2.6 (SD: 4.30, range 1-20) people incarcerated for mental health services. The reasons for referral included: "suicidal thoughts," "experiencing anxiety over being incarcerated during COVID," and "considering self-harm." A phenomenological approach was used to analyze the focus group meeting. The themes identified were: (a) COs experience with MHFA training was viewed positively (facilitators); (b) there is a need to improve mental wellness in correctional settings (barriers); and (c) mental health referral process for incarcerated individuals needs enhancement when implementing MHFA (barriers). MHFA training for COs is necessary to equip COs with the skills to safely support and refer incarcerated people experiencing a mental health crisis. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Research and Application of Bedside Rhetorical Teaching Method in Teaching Nursing Interns

Objective: To observe and analyze the application of the bedside rhetorical teaching method in teaching nursing interns. Methods: A total of 64 nursing interns in the gastroenterology department of our hospital from July 2022 to May 2023 were randomly divided into two groups, 32 cases in the control group and 32 cases in the intervention group. The control group was given conventional teaching methods, and the intervention group was given the bedside rhetorical teaching method on the basis of the conventional teaching. The differences in the methods of teaching between the two groups were compared after the end of the internship, and there was a statistically significant difference with P &lt; 0.05. Results: The scores of the interns in the intervention group were significantly better than those of the control group in theoretical knowledge, communication skills, and case analysis items (P &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: The bedside rhetorical teaching method transforms classroom education into bedside teaching, which enables the interns to apply the theoretical knowledge to clinical practice, and has a higher improvement in the three aspects of disease knowledge, communication skills, and case analysis, cultivates the interns’ comprehensive clinical skills, and lays a good foundation for the future entry into the nursing field.

Infant Hearing Loss: Are Mothers Aware?

If hearing impairment goes unnoticed, negative effects on the infant’s communication, academic, learning, socio-emotional, and language skills occur. Mothers have an essential and significant role in screening and early intervention. Hence, the level of their knowledge and attitude needs to be addressed. Objective: To determine the maternal awareness towards infant hearing loss. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Isra University, Islamabad from February to July 2020. The study recruited a sample of n=377 pregnant women aged 18-45 years, utilizing convenience sampling. A basic demographic sheet and a Maternal Awareness about Hearing Loss questionnaire were used for data collection. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS Version 26.0. ANOVA and independent sample t-test statistics were utilized to determine any significant difference in knowledge and attitude scores for demographic variables and p&lt; 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Overall mothers responded positively to knowledge and attitude items with good scores for knowledge (25.71 ± 6.27) and attitude (8.01 ± 1.88). There was a significant (p&lt;0.05) difference in knowledge and attitude scores for educational level, financial status, and employment status and age revealed significant difference for level of knowledge. Conclusions: This study concluded that maternal awareness about hearing loss is variably distributed for different risk factors and has a positive attitude about hearing loss and a highly positive attitude and willingness to accept the management options in case hearing loss is detected.

Preliminary Evidence for a Teacher Training Model on Social/Emotional/Behavioral Universal Screening in Schools

ABSTRACT This preliminary study was designed to evaluate the outcomes of iterative teacher trainings for social/emotional/behavioral (SEB) screening in schools. Three separate and successive trainings were completed with adjustments made based on the previous training. We examined the level of accuracy in SEB screener knowledge and data-based decision-making (DBDM) teachers had after training. Additionally, we examined assessment items for patterns in performance on SEB screener knowledge and DBDM after training. Training 1 included 18 preservice teachers, who had greater than chance-level performance on screener knowledge and DBDM at posttest. Training 2 included 16 preservice teachers and Training 3 included 36 in-service teachers. Changes in pre- to posttest performance from these trainings indicated that there was an increase in screener knowledge and DBDM with large effect sizes. An examination of SEB knowledge and DBDM items indicated regular areas of strengths and deficits for the teacher after receiving the training. Implications for adjusting the training procedures and delivery, and examining teacher needs related to SEB screening knowledge and DBDM are discussed.

Science on the mind: Examining question ordering effects when asking about science on large-scale surveys.

Previous research has examined people's attitudes toward science and scientists, highlighting how religious identities, beliefs, or behavior shapes these attitudes. However, survey design choices have been previously shown to influence individuals' attitudes toward religion and science. We investigated the extent to which question ordering (i.e. presenting questions about science before questions about religion or the paranormal) in a large-scale survey would influence respondents' attitudes toward science and religion. Utilizing an experimental design, we found that responding to science questions first led to (1) more interest in science, (2) more confidence in the scientific community, (3) increased agreement that science is a way of knowing truth, (4) more confidence in responding to science knowledge items, (5) more agreement to scientific statements, and (6) more trust in scientists. We discuss the implications of question ordering when analyzing attitudes toward science and religion within the same surveys and future directions for research.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practice toward postoperative cognitive dysfunction among anesthesiologists in China: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundTo investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) toward postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) among anesthesiologists in China.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted nationwide among Chinese anesthesiologists between December 2022 and January 2023. The demographic information and KAP scores of the respondents were collected using a web-based questionnaire. The mean KAP dimension scores ≥ 60% were considered good.ResultsThis study enrolled 1032 anesthesiologists (51.2% male). The mean total scores of knowledge, positive attitude, and positive practice were 9.3 ± 1.2 (max 12), 34.8 ± 3.3 (max 40), and 30.6 ± 6.7 (max 40), respectively. The knowledge items with correctness scores < 60% were “the anesthetic drugs that tend to cause POCD” (23.3%) and “Treatment of POCD” (40.3%). Multivariable analysis showed that ≥ 40 years old, master’s degree or above, intermediate professional title (i.e., attending physician), senior professional title (i.e., chief physician), and working in tertiary hospitals were independently associated with adequate knowledge. Multivariable analysis showed that the attitude scores, middle professional title, and ≥ 16 years of experience were independently associated with good practice.ConclusionsThese results suggest that Chinese anesthesiologists have good knowledge, favorable attitudes, and good practice toward POCD. Still, some points remain to be improved (e.g., the drugs causing POCD and managing POCD) and should be emphasized in training and continuing education.Trial registrationChiCTR2200066749.

Characteristics, knowledge, attitude, and practice of pharmacy personnel in supporting tuberculosis treatment: A multicenter cross-sectional study in a high-burden tuberculosis country

BackgroundPositive roles of community pharmacy in tuberculosis (TB) care have been widely reported. However, the actual practice of supporting TB treatment is not optimal yet. ObjectivesWe analyzed the current practice of community pharmacy personnel and its factors in supporting the successful treatment of TB patients in Indonesia, aiming to develop strategies for effective and sustainable TB practice models for the community pharmacy. MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional survey in 3 areas representing Indonesia's eastern, central, and western parts. Development and validation of the questionnaire were conducted to assess 4 domains, that is, characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and practice of community pharmacy personnel in supporting the successful treatment of TB patients. Data were collected with purposive convenience sampling using online and offline questionnaires. Descriptive analyses were used to summarize factors in each domain, while binary logistic regression was used to analyze the associated factors of the practice. ResultsThirty-five questionnaire items indicated a valid instrument, and the study successfully included 844 participants who comprised pharmacists (n = 473, 56%) and pharmacy assistants (n = 371, 44%). Although most of the knowledge items were correctly answered by more than 60% of the participants, items related to TB signs, risk groups, drug regimens, and medicine uses were still less than 60%. This was in line with exposure to updated TB training in only 51% of the participants (n = 426). Most of the participants had a positive attitude toward their professional role (n = 736, 87%), capability (n = 646, 77%), and consequences (n = 655, 78%) in supporting TB treatment. However, this was not aligned with the actual practice of supporting TB treatment, intensively performed by only 1.3% of participants (n = 11). We identified several factors associated with the practice, that is, a pharmacy assistant background (P < 0.05), short working time (P < 0.05), experience in TB training (P < 0.001), and a positive attitude (P < 0.001). ConclusionThis study highlighted a limited number of community pharmacy personnel intensively practicing as TB treatment supporters in Indonesia. An interventional package considering the identified factors is needed to develop effective and sustainable practices in the real world.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practice toward glioma of patients with neurological symptoms or diseases in henan, China

ObjectiveTo explore the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) toward glioma of patients with neurological symptoms or diseases. MethodsThis web-based cross-sectional study was conducted at two medical centers in Henan Province between January 2023 and April 2023 and enrolled patients with neurological symptoms or diseases. The demographic characteristics of the participants and their KAP toward glioma were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. A structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the relationship among KAP dimensions. ResultsThe study included 442 valid questionnaires. The mean knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 7.65 ± 1.62 (possible range: 0–9), 37.98 ± 3.17 (possible range: 9–45), and 40.16 ± 4.17 (possible range: 10–50), indicating good knowledge, favorable attitude, and active practice. The SEM analysis showed that knowledge directly affected attitudes (β = 0.89, 95%CI: 0.73–1.06, P < 0.001) but not practice (β = −0.08, 95%CI: −0.32–0.14, P = 0.487), while attitudes directly affected practice (β = 0.35, 95%CI: 0.21–0.48, P < 0.001). ConclusionPatients with neurological symptoms/diseases who had heard of gliomas had good knowledge, favorable attitudes, and active practice toward glioma. Specific knowledge items that would warrant improvements were identified in the specific population of patients with neurological symptoms/diseases who had heard of glioma. Future studies should also examine the general population.

Cultivating Competency in Cardiac Sonography: Aligning Entrustable Professional Activities With Industry Expectations

Echocardiography education involves the teaching and assessment of multiple competencies to ensure work-ready graduates. To connect these competency standards to professional practice, it is important that the industry expectation around specific entrustable professional activities (EPAs) is determined. In Australia, echocardiography examinations are eligible for Medicare reimbursement when performed by sonographers listed on the Australian Sonographers Accreditation Registry (ASAR), either as an Accredited Medical Sonographer or as an Accredited Student Sonographer. A key criterion for acceptance onto the registry is the completion of, or active enrolment in, an accredited cardiac sonography course. Eligible courses apply for accreditation and are assessed by ASAR against their Standards for Accreditation of Sonographer Courses. This study sought to investigate the existing cardiac EPAs and provide insights into the industry's expectations for graduate cardiac sonographers in Australia. Using an anonymous online survey tool, an invitation to participate was circulated via professional sonography groups and social media platforms. Accredited Medical Sonographers, Accredited Student Sonographers or interested stakeholders (academic, employer, medical specialist) working in Australia or New Zealand were invited to complete the survey. Survey questions were structured around the existing EPAs and knowledge items described in published sonography competency documents. Participants were asked if each individual EPA should be considered appropriate at the threshold of graduation, or at a higher level following a period of working in the profession. There were 211 cardiac sonographers who completed the survey. The majority of respondents (148 of 211, 72.2%) indicated that the current EPAs should be updated. At 80% agreement, the following EPAs were considered essential for the graduate: left ventricular structure and function, right ventricular structure and function, atrial size, valvular disease, systemic hypertension, cardiomyopathies, diseases of the aorta, coronary artery disease, pulmonic hypertension, and basic congenital heart disease. This list is more extensive than the current ASAR-endorsed EPAs, and the findings in this research will guide the revision of current ASAR-endorsed EPAs for graduate-level cardiac sonography. The results of this study show Accredited Medical Sonographers completing a cardiac sonography course in Australia should be entrusted to perform a wide range of examinations however, greater alignment between educational providers, ASAR and industry is still required.

Health literacy competency requirements for health professionals: a Delphi consensus study in Taiwan

BackgroundCumulative evidence supports the importance of health literacy in determining the quality of healthcare delivery and outcomes. To enhance health literacy competencies among professionals and alleviate healthcare barriers owing to patients’ inadequate health literacy, evidence-based health literacy competency guidelines are needed for the development of health professionals’ training curricula. The aim of this study was to validate and refine a set of health literacy competencies, including knowledge, attitude, and skills of health professionals, and to prioritize the importance of health literacy practices among healthcare professionals.MethodsWe employed a consensus-building approach that utilized a modified three-round Delphi process conducted in 2017. An online Delphi panel was assembled, comprising 20 Taiwanese health literacy experts from diverse fields such as medicine, nursing, public health, language, and communication. A set of health literacy competencies previously identified and validated by an international panel of health literacy experts was cross-culturally translated.ResultsAfter three rounds of ratings and modifications, a consensus agreement was reached on 42 of 62 health literacy competencies, including 12 of 24 knowledge items, 9 of 11 attitude items, and 21 of 27 skill items. Of the 32 health literacy practices, “avoidance using medical jargon,” “speaking slowly and clearly with patients,” and “using analogies and examples” were deemed most important by the panelists.ConclusionsThe Delphi panel’s consensus helped to identify a set of core health literacy competencies that could serve as measurable learning objectives to guide the development of a health literacy curriculum for health professionals. The prioritized health literacy practices can be employed as indicators of health literacy competencies that health professionals should learn and routinely use in clinical settings.