Practice Of Health Practitioners Research Articles

Development and validation of a health practitioner survey on ocular allergy

Survey studies have played a significant role in understanding the gaps in the knowledge and practices of health practitioners. However, there have been no such survey studies on Ocular Allergy (OA). Thus, the purpose of this study was to develop and validate a survey on OA to better understand the gaps in the diagnostic, treatment, and collaborative care approaches of health practitioners in OA. The survey is titled “Survey on Ocular Allergy for Health Practitioners (SOAHP)”. SOAHP was developed in a five-stage process. First, item extraction via the use of a literature review, second, face and content validity, third, a pilot study, fourth, test–retest reliability, and fifth, finalisation of the survey. 65 items under 6 domains were initially generated in the item extraction phase. Content validity was conducted on 15 experts in the field. This was conducted twice to reach consensus whereby items and domains were added, edited, kept, or removed, resulting in 50 items under 7 domains. The pilot study was conducted on 15 participants from the five relevant health practitioner fields (Allergists/Immunologists, General Practitioners (GPs), Ophthalmologists, Optometrists and Pharmacists). This altered the survey further to 40 items under 7 domains. Test–retest reliability was conducted on 25 participants from the five health practitioner fields. Reliability was moderate to almost perfect for most (97%) investigated items. The finalised survey was 40 items under 7 domains. SOAHP is the first survey created to assess diagnostic, treatment and collaborative care approaches of Allergists/Immunologists, GPs, Ophthalmologists, Optometrists and Pharmacists on OA. SOAHP will be a useful tool in clinical research on OA.

Retracted: Evaluation of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Health Practitioners towards Fertility Preservation in Cancer Patients in an Environmental Region of Saudi Arabia.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/6404837.].

Knowledge and practices of health practitioners toward pulmonary tuberculosis in Saudi Arabia

Background: Appropriate TB knowledge and good practice attitudes are substantial particularly among health care personnel because of great occupational risks during their daily activities. Therefore, TB prevention and control have become an important issue on training courses. This study mainly aimed to assess the level knowledge and practices of health practitioners toward pulmonary tuberculosis in Saudi Arabia. In addition we aim to assess the perception of health practitioners toward the role of CXR. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional online questionnaire-based study conducted in Al-imam medical clinics Saudi Arabia during 2022. Results: A total of 95 participants responded to our survey. Almost two thirds of the sample were general practitioners (n = 67, 70.5%). A total of 27 physicians (28.4%) reported seeing a positive result of pulmonary tuberculosis and 43 participants (45.3%) agreed on doing CXR with/without Microbiologic testing to investigate a suspected pulmonary TB patient. Almost half of the participants (n = 47, 49.5%) reported referring to isolation as the next step for positive cases. Conclusion: Generally speaking, there was a good understanding of TB and clinical knowledge among medical students and physicians which is particularly important for early detection, management and protective measures. Our results showed moderate knowledge regarding TB investigations and excellent knowledge in terms of dealing with positive or suspected cases. Key words: pulmonary tuberculosis, health practitioners, Saudi Arabia

Evaluation of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Health Practitioners towards Fertility Preservation in Cancer Patients in an Environmental Region of Saudi Arabia.

Background Cancer patients face multiple challenges, such as infertility caused by exposure to gonadotoxic agents and gonadal irradiation during cancer treatment. Little is known about the health practitioners' knowledge and practice regarding fertility preservation and its available options in Saudi Arabia. Thus, this study is designed to evaluate the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) towards fertility preservation in cancer patients among health practitioners in an environmental region in Saudi Arabia. Methods The cross-sectional study was carried out between September 2020 and January 2021. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among health practitioners from a variety of specialties who work closely with cancer patients. Results Out of 100 participants, 90% need more knowledge about fertility preservation. The lack of fertility preservation clinics in the patient's area and its unaffordable expenses significantly influenced the health practitioners' attitude towards fertility preservation discussion with cancer patients. The results revealed that 92% of the participants agreed that the Saudi Ministry of Health should establish practice guidelines and provide fertility preservation services for cancer patients. Conclusions The present study showed that clinical practitioners' knowledge remains insufficient. Education of health practitioners and the establishment of practice guidelines and fertility preservation clinics for cancer patients are required.

Restoration to practice of health practitioners removed for serious sexual misconduct: evaluating public confidence and assessing risk

ABSTRACT This article examines how the health system in Australia ensures public protection and confidence when making determinations about the reinstatement of health practitioners who have previously been deregistered for sexual misconduct. Three main issues are addressed: first, the lack of public process and accessible reasons concerning the majority of reinstatement decisions, with consequent omissions in the public record and impact upon public confidence. Second, a detailed analysis is undertaken of the limited available reinstatement decisions, to understand how legislative and jurisprudential criteria of public protection (including protecting patient safety, promoting professional standards and maintaining public confidence) are weighed against the ‘rehabilitative’ impetus within a context strongly influenced by health evidence and therapeutic considerations. Third, a call is made to develop a responsive, modern and transparent framework for understanding and assessing the impact on public confidence of disciplinary decisions concerning the reinstatement of health practitioners.

Ultrasound biosafety: Knowledge and opinions of health practitioners who perform obstetric scans in South Africa.

BackgroundDiagnostic ultrasound is generally considered as a safe test in pregnancy. To date there is no evidence that ultrasound has caused harm to the developing foetus. However, with the number of obstetric scans on the rise and the steep increase in acoustic output achieved by modern machines, the lack of evidence of absolute safety remains a concern. Acoustic output is under the direct control of the operator and is therefore the operator’s responsibility to keep the intensity as low as reasonably achievable. A situation analysis in the South African context was deemed necessary to determine end user knowledge and opinions on safe antenatal ultrasound practice.AimThe aim of this quantitative descriptive, cross-sectional study was to evaluate the knowledge and practice of health practitioners who perform antenatal scans regarding safety aspects of diagnostic ultrasound.SettingA self-administered questionnaire was distributed at two national congresses, hosted by the South African Society of Ultrasound and Obstetrics (SASUOG) and South African Society of Obstetricians (SASOG) committees.MethodQuota non-probability sampling allowed for the identification of professional categories capable of providing information relevant to the study objectives. The sample represented a population with experience in obstetric ultrasound.ResultsCompared to international studies, South African end users demonstrated better knowledge of safety indices than their international counterparts. It is, however, discouraging that end users still demonstrate insufficient knowledge regarding factors contributing to adverse biological effects.ConclusionWith room for improvement, an effort should be made to comply with international standards through increased training efforts and raising awareness.

Political dimensions in the actions of health-care practitioners: Reflections for occupational science based on the Chilean psychiatric reform

ABSTRACTThis discussion focuses on the political dimensions of health-care practitioners’ actions as a key aspect in occupational science reflections. To understand politics and its relationship with occupational science, a brief explanation is offered about the conceptual framework of governmentality studies. From this understanding, a proposal is developed to discuss the specific form taken by power relations in the practices of health practitioners. Based on the notion of occupational apartheid, this analysis is aimed at reflecting on political actions towards greater occupational justice. The concept of extitution is used to explain how to shape power relations under the current mental health systems, discussing the case of the Chilean psychiatric reform as an example of a political process that engaged different practitioners. There is evidence that some of the impacts of the reforms are not as expected under an occupational justice perspective, both for users and families, and/or for practitioners themselves. The findings suggest that—consistent with certain theories on power—there are some restrictions to the understanding of the political dimension of practitioners’ actions. New aspects are proposed as a focus for an occupational science committed to an occupational justice framework.

The knowledge, attitude and practice of health practitioners towards antibiotic prescribing and resistance in developing countries-A systematic review.

Inappropriate antibiotic use is the leading cause of antibiotic resistance especially in developing countries, where patient management is mainly based on the prescription of medicines due to deficiencies in diagnostic procedures. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of studies on knowledge, attitude and practice of health practitioners towards antibiotic prescribing and resistance in developing countries. We used MEDLINE and EMBASE to conduct a systematic search for studies. We included papers that focused on health practitioners' knowledge on antibiotic use, local resistance and extent of the antibiotic resistance problem; the health practitioners' confidence in prescribing; commonly used guides; and recommendations to improve antibiotic prescribing. Studies that assessed other indicators were excluded. We assessed the quality of the individual studies using a previously published quality assessment tool. Data were summarized into proportions and means. We registered the review with PROSPERO, registration number CRD42018085664. We obtained 384 papers, 345 papers after deduplication, 28 relevant papers upon reviewing titles and abstracts, and 15 articles fulfilled our inclusion criteria upon full-text review. Most of the studies were of medium quality (ten), three were of low quality, and two were of high quality. An average of 80.9% of respondents correctly answered questions relating to antibiotic use, whereas 39.6% were aware of the local resistance patterns in their health facilities. Participants stated that antibiotic resistance was a general problem (75.2%), a global problem (84.7%), a national problem (88.0%), a problem in their health facilities (71.9%) and a problem in their daily practice (71.7%). Up to 78.2% of the participants reported that they were very confident or confident in antibiotic prescribing. There was a high reported proportion of participants with an apparently good level of knowledge on antibiotic use and a high level of confidence in antibiotic prescribing, but the reported level of knowledge on local antibiotic resistance was low. The analysis was limited by the low number of studies included, and most of them had a medium quality.

Communicating a diagnosis of dementia: A systematic mixed studies review of attitudes and practices of health practitioners.

The aim of this study is to systematically review practitioners’ practices and attitudes in regards to communicating a diagnosis of dementia. A systematic search was conducted of Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed for English language original empirical papers. A sequential explanatory mixed studies analysis approach was used. Twenty-five quantitative descriptive, two intervention, six mixed methods descriptive and 21 qualitative studies were included. Pooled analysis showed that 34% of GPs and 48% of specialists usually/routinely tell the person with dementia their diagnosis, and 89% of GPs and 97% specialists usually/routinely tell the family the diagnosis. Euphemistic terms such as ‘memory problems’ are more often used to describe dementia than medical terms. Practitioners’ decision to diagnose and communicate the diagnosis of dementia are influenced by (a) their own beliefs regarding dementia and treatment efficacy and their confidence in diagnosis and communication; (b) patient circumstances including level of awareness, level of severity and family support; (c) the health and social care system including access to specialist and diagnostic services, reimbursement for diagnosis/management and availability of services and (d) cultural norms in relation to dementia including stigma, labels, and common clinical practice. The diagnosis and communication of diagnosis of dementia are intertwined processes and should be concurrently addressed in interventions. Multicomponent approaches to address these practices could include guideline development, practitioner education, anti-stigma public health campaigns, offering post-diagnosis treatments and support and sufficient reimbursement for practitioners for time spent managing dementia.

Knowledge and practices of health practitioners on treatment of Buruli ulcer in the Mbonge, Ekondo Titi and Muyuka Health Districts, South West Region, Cameroon.

IntroductionAfter tuberculosis and leprosy, Buruli ulcer (BU) is the third most common mycobacterial infection. Buruli ulcer begins as a localized skin lesion that progresses to extensive ulceration thus leading to functional disability, loss of economic productivity and social stigma. This study is aimed at assessing the knowledge and practices among health practitioners on the treatment of BU in the Mbonge, Ekondo Titi and Muyuka Health Districts of the South West Region of Cameroon.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study that investigates participants' knowledge and practices on the treatment of BU. The study uses a qualitative method of structured questionnaires in the process of data collection.ResultsSeventy percent (70%) of the participants acknowledged they encounter cases of BU in their respective Hospitals or Health centers. Among these, 48% agreed they managed BU in their facilities and up to 91.7% noted that their community members are aware that BU is managed in their facility while seventy percent of the medical practitioners indicated they cannot identify the various stages of BU. Eighty-one percent of the practitioners from Muyuka HD indicated they could not identify the various stages of BU. More than 63% of the practitioners regarded BU patients as normal people in their communities however, practitioners that practiced for less than 5 years were likely not to admit BU patients in the same room with other patients. Beliefs such as being cursed (47.06%) and being possessed (29.41%) were reported by practitioners that acknowledged the existence of traditional beliefs in the community.ConclusionDespite the fact that a majority of the health practitioners knew what BU is, most of them demonstrated lack of knowledge on the identification of the various stages and management of the illness. Practitioners demonstrated positive attitude towards patients although they would not admit them in the same room with other patients. Considering the poor knowledge on identification and management demonstrated by most of the practitioners, management of the disease would be inadequate and may even aggravate the patient's situation. Training and onsite mentorship on screening, identification and management of BU is therefore highly recommended amongst health personnel practicing in endemic areas.

Professional supervision for allied health practitioners working in non-metropolitan health care settings: A comprehensive systematic review.

Review objective/question The review objectives are to synthesize the best available evidence on the experiences and effects of professional supervision on allied health clinician practice and client outcomes across rural and remote health settings. Specifically, the review questions are: 1. What are the experiences of professional supervision for allied health professionals working in non-metropolitan settings? 2. What are the effects of professional supervision on allied health practitioner practice and clients outcomes in non-metropolitan locations? Types of participants Both qualitative and quantitative components of this review will consider all research studies that include allied health professionals including Audiology, Clinical Measurement Sciences, Dietetics and Nutrition, Exercise Physiology, Medical Radiations Professions, Occupational Therapy, Orthoptics, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Prosthetics and Orthotics, Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Psychology, Social Work and Speech Pathology in all health care settings (private practice, community health and hospital settings) working in regional, rural or remote locations. Defining what constitutes regional, rural and remote (non-metropolitan) within a world wide context is difficult, hence for this review regional, rural and remote practice will be defined as working in geographical or professional isolation. This may include any studies undertaken outside metropolitan areas or where participants are identified as working professionally isolated, for example being the only physiotherapist in a specific location. Exclusion criteria - Students who are not employed as an allied health professional (e.g. allied health, medical and nursing students on clinical placements will be excluded) - Medical clinicians - Nursing clinicians - Health workers (other than allied health) - Allied Health Assistants Phenomena of interest/Types of intervention(s) The focus of both qualitative and quantitative components of the review is professional supervision. For this review professional supervision is defined as “a working alliance between two or more professional members in which the aim is to achieve a range of goals that can be broadly categorised into themes relating to (a) organisational/administrative functions, (b) clinical practice, and (c) provision of personal support to the employee”. This review will include all styles of professionals supervision such as face-to-face, telephone, videoconference or online to both individuals and groups. TRUNCATED AT 350 WORDS