scholarly journals Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Oncologists: Results of an International Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 242-252
Author(s):  
Abdul Rahman Jazieh ◽  
Anelisa K. Coutinho ◽  
Assia A. Bensalem ◽  
Abdullah A. Alsharm ◽  
Hassan Errihani ◽  
...  

PURPOSE As frontline workers facing the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers should be well-prepared to fight the disease and prevent harm to their patients and themselves. Our study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of oncologists in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on them. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted using a validated questionnaire disseminated to oncologists by SurveyMonkey. The tool had 42 questions that captured participants’ knowledge, attitude, and practice; their experiences; and the pandemic’s impact on various aspects of their lives. Participants from Middle East and North African countries, Brazil, and the Philippines completed the electronic survey between April 24 and May 15, 2020. RESULTS Of the 1,010 physicians who participated in the study, 54.75% were male and 64.95% were medical or clinical oncologists. The level of knowledge regarding the prevention and transmission of the virus was good in 52% of participants. The majority (92%) were worried about contracting the virus either extremely (30%) or mildly (62%), and 84.85% were worried about transmitting the virus to their families. Approximately 76.93% reported they would take the COVID 19 vaccine once available, with oncologists practicing in Brazil having the highest odds ratio of intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine (odds ratio, 11.8, 95% CI, 5.96 to 23.38, P < .001). Participants reported a negative impact of the pandemic on relations with coworkers (15.84%), relations with family (27.84%), their emotional and mental well-being (48.51%), research productivity (34.26%), and financial income (52.28%). CONCLUSION The COVID-19 pandemic has adverse effects on various personal and professional aspects of oncologists’ lives. Interventions should be implemented to mitigate the negative impact and prepare oncologists to manage future crises with more efficiency and resilience.

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-36
Author(s):  
Sanjay Kalra ◽  
Asit Mittal ◽  
Roheet M. Rathod ◽  
Colette Pinto ◽  
Rahul Rathod ◽  
...  

Pruritus is a common dermatological condition observed in patients with diabetes, making it a dermatometabolic condition. Being multiaethiological, pruritis is caused by autoimmune, genetic, infectious and various systemic diseases. The present survey aimed to understand the knowledge, attitude and practice toward pruritus among Indian physicians and patients with diabetes presenting with pruritus. A telephonic, cross-sectional, qualitative survey was conducted among physicians and patients across five cities in India from July–August 2020. An open-ended discussion guide was used for the interview; the data were analyzed to check for common themes and trends. A majority of the consulting physicians (CPs) believed that uncontrolled diabetes is the main causal factor for pruritus in patients with diabetes and reported that currently there are no standard tests or treatment guidelines for its management. CPs emphasized proper monitoring and counseling to overcome current challenges. Patients reported a negative impact of pruritus on their daily activities and quality of life. The survey concluded that poor management of diabetes is one of the main causal factors for patients with diabetes presenting with pruritus in India. CPs emphasized controlling diabetes along with symptomatic treatment. For patients, pruritus has multifaceted effects on their health, overall well-being, and quality of life.


Author(s):  
Akhilesh Kumar ◽  
Monica Aggarwal ◽  
Varsha Rathor

Background: Antibiotics are the most commonly used drugs often associated with inappropriate use leading to resistance. While knowledge enlightens and provides an insight into the problems faced, behavioral change solely depends on the beliefs and attitude. Aim of this study to evaluate the knowledge and beliefs about antimicrobial prescribing among prescribers in a teaching tertiary care hospitalMethods: The present study was conducted in the Department of Pharmacology, ESIC   Medical College and Hospital, Faridabad. after  Ethical clearance from the Institutional Ethics Committee. Design of this study was a prospective, cross-sectional study carried out in the form of a survey in which a pretested, semi-structured, validated questionnaire of 30 questions was provided to Junior residents, Senior residents and Faculty of different specialties and response was recorded. Questionnaire comprises of 10 questions each in knowledge, attitude and practice section.Results: Out of 132 prescribers 86.5% believed that irrational practice will cause global resistant development. majority (92.3%) were expressing the need that sample culture should be sent before starting antibiotics but only 69.2 % were of the opinion that culture and sensitivity should be done in all infections and 92.3% were expressing the view that hospital antibiotics policy is useful in reducing AMR.Conclusions: The present survey on antibiotic usage gives useful information about the knowledge, attitudes and practices of prescribers and help plan suitable educational interventions that aim at improving the antimicrobial prescribing and minimizing the development of resistance.


Author(s):  
Ravindra S. Beedimani ◽  
Sameer Uz Zaman ◽  
Subrahmanyam Darb ◽  
Sharat Chandra Potturi

Background: Drugs are one of the most commonly used interventions in medical therapeutics. Spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is the backbone of pharmacovigilance (PV) program. Under-reporting of ADRs by prescribers was possibly due to lack of knowledge, attitude and practices regarding PV. This study was done to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of medical students (grouped to sixth and eighth semester) and medical doctors about PV in a tertiary care hospital.Methods: It was a questionnaire based cross-sectional study administered to 246 medical students and doctors. Study tool was a validated questionnaire containing 15 questions to evaluate KAP of PV among medical students and doctors. A descriptive analysis of data was done where necessary, statistical significance for associations between the group and their responses to questionnaire was provided using Pearson Chi square test and Fisher exact test.Results: Sixty-eight percent of the participants (90% doctors; 76% eighth-semester and 46% sixth-semester medical students) know the correct definition of PV. Sixty-one percent of the participants (67% sixth-semester, 61% doctors and 53% eighth-semester) think that reporting is a professional obligation for them. Only 15% of the participants have ever been taught or trained on how to report an ADR.Conclusions: Medical doctors and students lack adequate knowledge and practice of reporting ADRs, but they seem to have a positive attitude towards the PV program. Our study findings strongly suggest that there is a great need to create awareness amongst them to promote reporting of ADRs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (Special1) ◽  
pp. 337-342
Author(s):  
Jacob Davies Kalliath ◽  
Anuradha Kizhatil ◽  
Brilly M Rose ◽  
Ann Mary Kuncheria ◽  
Alexander John

Background: COVID – 19 infection is a serious pandemic the world is now facing. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding COVID-19 infection among medical students at a private medical college in central Kerala.  Methods: A cross-sectional web-based study was conducted during April-May 2020 in a private medical college in Ernakulam District using the Universal sampling technique. The study tool was a semi-structured validated questionnaire containing sociodemographic details and questions on knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding COVID-19 infection. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. Results: A total of 288 students were included in the study, with a mean age of 21±1.4. The male-to-female ratio was 2.75:1. Medical students showed adequate knowledge (81.6%), attitude (91.3%), and practice (84.7%) towards the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. The main symptoms of COVID-19 infection were known to at least 83% of the participants. The majority (85.4%) were aware that there is no specific treatment for COVID-19 infection and 90% were aware of the main modes of the disease transmission. The majority (99%) of the medical students believed that COVID-19 infection could be prevented through social distancing, wearing masks, and the practice of self-hygiene. About 75.6% believed that government measures for prevention are adequate. Steam inhalation, saline gargling, and consumption of vitamin C-rich foodstuffs were the main specific measures adopted. Older age and female gender were found to be associated with better knowledge. Conclusion: Adequate KAP levels among medical students in this study are attributable to the current lockdown and the strict government measures to contain the infection.


Author(s):  
Shibal Bhartiya ◽  
Nishant Kumar ◽  
Meenakshi Wadhwani

Background: After almost a year of the COVID-19 pandemic, economies around the world are opening up. However, with newer, more virulent strains being reported across the globe, the efficacy of vaccines has also come into question, and regulatory authorities are emphasising once again, the importance of mask use and social distancing. The aim of the study was to understand the knowledge, attitude and practice towards wearing of masks during this pandemic.Methods: This was a non-interventional, questionnaire based, cross sectional study conducted in urban slums in Mumbai, India. A validated questionnaire was administered to those who volunteered to be part of the study, during sero-survey in the slum area.  Results: A total of 1342 participants were included in the study. An overwhelming 1232 (91.8%) knew that masks should cover both nose and mouth. Almost 72% claimed to wear their face masks more than 50% of the time when outside their homes, while 27.5% used them only when in crowded places. Interestingly only 3% said they did not wear masks at all. 86% subjects were of the opinion that cloth masks should be washed daily, and 5% said it should be washed once every two days. There was a significant association with the knowledge regarding proper usage and cleaning of mask, and age, gender and occupation.Conclusions: The knowledge and attitude towards wearing and care of masks reveals that there was a significant association between proper usage and cleaning of masks and age, occupation, literacy and income.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-70
Author(s):  
Cyruz P. Tuppal ◽  
Marina Magnolia G. Ninobla ◽  
Mara Gerbabe D. Ruiz ◽  
Richard D. Loresco ◽  
Shanine Mae P. Tuppal ◽  
...  

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has become a severe health threat to the Philippines and around the world. At the early onset of the pandemic, it is imperative to measure the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) among healthy individuals to better understand the causes, transmission, and preventive measures. Purpose: This study aimed to identify the knowledge, attitude, and practice towards COVID-19 in a healthy Filipino population during the early onset of the pandemic outbreak.Methods: This cross-sectional rapid online and web-based survey was conducted among healthy Filipino population. A total of 1634 subjects participated via the Google survey link. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the respondents' profile characteristics and KAP scores. The One-Way ANOVA or independent sample t-test was used to measure KAP scores' differences when grouped according to respondents' profile characteristics. Pearson correlation was used to measure the relationship among the KAP scores. The data were all analyzed using the SPSS version 26.0. Results: The overall knowledge scores revealed 67.7%. Filipinos believed COVID-19 would finally be successfully controlled and confident that the Philippines can win the battle against the virus through preventive practices. KAP scores showed significant differences with age, sex (p<0.000), and place of residence (p<0.000), occupation (p<0.000), and marital status (p<0.000). A significant positive low correlation between knowledge and practice (r=0.076, p<0.01), attitude and practice (r=0.100, p<0.01).Conclusion: Albeit a low knowledge of COVID-19, healthy Filipino populations had a positive attitude and compliant with the preventive measures. This study hopes to contribute to the growing corpus of literature on COVID-19 to provide evidence-based information towards health promotion, illness prevention, and control of possible virus' spread.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-77
Author(s):  
Aadil Ameer Ali ◽  
Noman Haq ◽  
Muhammad Rafiq ◽  
Amjad Hussain ◽  
Muhammad Ismail ◽  
...  

This observational study was conducted to assess the attitude, knowledge and practices of health-care providers in context of novel corona virus or COvid-19 in Pakistan. A cross sectional survey has been conducted among the physicians, dentists, physiotherapists, pharmacists and nurses in a number of medical and health related facilities of Pakistan from April to June 2020. A self-constructed questionnaire was used among the 277 health care providers and SPSS version 23 was used to analyze the data. Male participants constituted 55.6% (n=154) of the total sample size. However, 91% of total participants aged between 23 to 33 years (n=252). In addition to this 71% participants were unmarried. In academic perspective 74.4% of the candidates were graduates and most of them were MBBS. Around 46.6 % people were permanent residents of Sindh while others belong to different regions of the country. Assessment revealed of knowledge, attitude and practice results showed that the great majority i.e. 96% (n=266) of the healthcare providers had adequate knowledge with respect to Covid-19. Moreover, 59.2% people (n=164) demonstrated positive attitude towards covid-19. Contrastingly, practices of a large number of healthcare providers were not found appropriate that makes up to 57.4% (n=159). The study concluded that the health care providers working in Pakistan have good knowledge and positive attitude towards covid-19, whereas the practice of Pakistani health care providers needs serious attention, because the results reveled the practice is below the mark.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 358-364
Author(s):  
KJ Awosan ◽  
A Yunusa ◽  
I Yakubu ◽  
KK Yunusa ◽  
AM Auwal

Background: The weak pharmacovigilance (PV) systems in many developing countries of the world have undoubtedly hampered the global quest for safe drug use. Operators of pharmacies and patent medicine stores have important roles to play in developing the PV systems in these countries being the main source of medicines for acute conditions. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of pharmacovigilance among operators of pharmacies and patent medicine stores in Sokoto metropolis, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 249 operators of pharmacies and patent medicine stores selected by multistage sampling technique. Data were collected with a set of pretested self- administered, semi-structured questionnaire. Results: Although, the majority, 173 (69.5%) of the 249 respondents were aware of PV, less than a fifth (17.3%) had good knowledge of it. Despite positive attitude towards PV, only about half, 56 (52.3%) of the 107 respondents that had observed adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in clients reported; and of these, only about a tenth (12.8%) formally reported to the organization in charge of PV. The most commonly cited reasons for non-reporting were that they didn’t know where and how to report (51.0%), and unavailability of reporting forms (23.5%). Conclusion: This study showed poor knowledge of PV and sub-optimal ADRs reporting despite positive attitude towards it by operators of pharmacies and patent medicine stores in Sokoto metropolis, Nigeria. Sensitization of the populace and training of healthcare providers on PV and ADRs reporting are necessary for revitalizing the PV system in Sokoto State, Nigeria. Keywords: Pharmacovigilance, knowledge, attitude, practice


2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 755-760 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar A Bawazir ◽  
Bandar Alsuwayt ◽  
Waleed Alqahtani ◽  
Ahmad Al-Dhafiri ◽  
Mosleh Al-Shamrani

ABSTRACT Objective This study was intended to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of pediatricians and pharmacists about sugar free medications (SFMs) and their impact on oral health. Materials and methods Self-administered close ended questionnaire was handed out to all pediatricians and pharmacists in five tertiary hospitals in Riyadh (King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud Medical City, King Fahad Medical City, Prince Sultan Medical Military City, Security Forces Hospital) to investigate the knowledge, attitude and practice concerning SFMs. Results Eighty-five pediatricians and 77 pharmacists participated in this study. The results showed that pediatricians and pharmacists have a good knowledge, but negative attitude toward SFMs. Only (5.9%) of pediatricians had formal undergraduate training which is significantly lower than pharmacists (15.6%) (p = 0.04). One-third of pediatricans and pharmacists prescribe or dispense SFMs. The most influencing factors toward prescription (pediatrician) of SFMs was the medical status of the patient (70.6%), while the most influencing factor of dispensing (pharmacists) SFMs was the availability in the pharmacy (64.9%). Two-third of pediatricians (67%) guide the parents about the risk associated with sugarcontaining medications (SCMs) which is significantly higher than pharmacists (p < 0.0001). Also, 53% of pediatricians recommend oral hygiene instructions when prescribing SCMs which is also significantly higher than pharmacists (p = 0.002). Conclusion There is a considerable knowledge about SFMs and its impact on dental caries, among pediatricians and pharmacists participated in this study. However, their attitude toward prescribing or dispensing SFMs was not positive and may be linked to the gap in knowledge. Further training and education of healthcare providers regarding the use of SFMs and its negative impact on dental caries has to be reiterated. How to cite this article Bawazir OA, Alsuwayt B, Alqahtani W, Al-Dhafiri A, Al-Shamrani M. Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Pediatricians and Pharmacists in Riyadh City toward the use of Sugar free Medications. J Contemp Dent Pract 2014; 15(6):755-760.


Author(s):  
Nuha Mohammed Malibari ◽  
Michael Connolly ◽  
Abdulaziz S. Aljohani

Background: The provision of palliative care (PC) for individuals with a life-threatening condition is fundamental to the role of the physician, in order to improve quality of life; however, little research has assessed the competence of the physicians in PC in Saudi Arabia. Aim: To conduct a baseline assessment of self-assessed palliative care competences among medical physicians in Saudi Arabia. Design: A survey-based cross-sectional study was employed using a specifically designed questionnaire. Setting: The participants in the study were selected from 6 specialist medical departments (Family medicine, cardiology, internal medicine, pulmonary medicine, neurology and oncology) in 4 Saudi Arabian Hospitals, based on inclusion criteria. Results: The study was conducted using a validated questionnaire used in Ireland to evaluate the competence skills of physicians for the provision of palliative care. All categories showed internal reliability and normal distribution of the data. However, the score of the knowledge, attitude and practice among the physicians was higher than the expected. The clinical specialty of the physicians demonstrated greater influence on knowledge, attitude and practice related to the palliative care compared to medical education. This highlighted the importance of training in palliative care to the medical doctors working in a range of specialist area. Conclusion: The study provides baseline data on the level of competence of palliative care of physicians in Saudi Arabia. This study can be used as an assessment tool to further evaluate the effectiveness of palliative care in other areas as primary and secondary care settings


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