Brazilian health professionals’ perception about the Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) method for complementary feeding: an exploratory study

Abstract Objective: To describe Brazilian health professionals’ perception about the Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) method use for complementary feeding. Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive study including 458 health professionals graduated in Nursing, Speech Therapy, Medicine, Nutrition or Dentistry and working in Pediatrics, being directly or indirectly involved with pediatric nutrition. We used a convenience non-probability sampling. The questionnaire applied to participants addressed demographic characteristics, academic degree, workplace, knowledge about clinical practice and perceptions about the possible advantages of the BLW method. Results: Participants had a mean age of 34.5±8.5 years, 64.6% of them working in Southeast Brazil and 65.3% being nutritionists. Most participants reported being acquainted with the BLW method (82.0%). Regarding clinical practice, 38.3% mentioned having recommended the BLW some times, 37.5% often and 20.5% always. Most participants fully agreed that the BLW method could have advantages for babies, for example, having them more likely to share family meals, facilitating adaptation to food flavors and consistencies, enhancing chewing and favoring the development of motor skills. On the other hand, important disagreements were also expressed regarding the BLW convenience and the possibility to create less concerns or anxiety in parents. Conclusions: The BLW method reported as advantageous, but disagreements were also raised, probably because scientific evidences on the suject are scarse. Further investigation is needed so we can better understand the risks and benefits and health care professionals can feel effectively assisted to offer support and advice to parents and caretakers.

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Assessing Apps for Patients with Genitourinary Tumors Using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS): Systematic Search in App Stores and Content Analysis (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.17609 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Miguel Ángel Amor-García ◽

Roberto Collado-Borrell ◽

Vicente Escudero-Vilaplana ◽

Alejandra Melgarejo-Ortuño ◽

Ana Herranz-Alonso ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Health Care ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Mobile Application ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Cancer Symptoms ◽

Genitourinary Cancers

BACKGROUND The large number of available cancer apps and their impact on the population necessitates a transparent, objective, and comprehensive evaluation by app experts, health care professionals, and users. To date, there have been no analyses or classifications of apps for patients with genitourinary cancers, which are among the most prevalent types of cancer. OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to analyze the quality of apps for patients diagnosed with genitourinary cancers using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) and identify high-quality apps. METHODS We performed an observational cross-sectional descriptive study of all smartphone apps for patients diagnosed with genitourinary cancers available on iOS and Android platforms. In July 2019, we searched for all available apps for patients with genitourinary cancers (bladder, prostate, cervical, uterine, endometrial, kidney, testicular, and vulvar) or their caregivers. Apps were downloaded and evaluated, and the general characteristics were entered into a database. The evaluation was performed by 2 independent researchers using the MARS questionnaire, which rates 23 evaluation criteria clustered in 5 domains (Engagement, Functionality, Esthetics, Information, and Subjective Quality) on a scale from 1 to 5. RESULTS In total, 46 apps were analyzed. Of these, 31 (67%) were available on Android, 6 (13%) on iOS, and 9 (20%) on both platforms. The apps were free in 89% of cases (41/46), and 61% (28/46) had been updated in the previous year. The apps were intended for prostate cancer in 30% of cases (14/46) and cervical cancer in 17% (8/46). The apps were mainly informative (63%, 29/46), preventive (24%, 11/46), and diagnostic (13%, 6/46). Only 7/46 apps (15%) were developed by health care organizations. The mean MARS score for the overall quality of the 46 apps was 2.98 (SD 0.77), with a maximum of 4.63 and a minimum of 1.95. Functionality scores were quite similar for most of the apps, with the greatest differences in Engagement and Esthetics, which showed acceptable scores in one-third of the apps. The 5 apps with the highest MARS score were the following: “Bladder cancer manager,” “Kidney cancer manager,” “My prostate cancer manager,” “Target Ovarian Cancer Symptoms Diary,” and “My Cancer Coach.” We observed statistically significant differences in the MARS score between the operating systems and the developer types (P<.001 and P=.01, respectively), but not for cost (P=.62). CONCLUSIONS MARS is a helpful methodology to decide which apps can be prescribed to patients and to identify which features should be addressed to improve these tools. Most of the apps designed for patients with genitourinary cancers only try to provide data about the disease, without coherent interactivity. The participation of health professionals in the development of these apps is low; nevertheless, we observed that both the participation of health professionals and regular updates were correlated with quality.

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ATTITUDE AND PRACTICING BEHAVIOUR AMONG HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS REGARDING HANDWASHING:A TOOL TO PREVENT EMERGING AND RE-EMERGING INFECTIONS.

10.36106/ijsr/5813050 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-3

Author(s):

Syed Waseem Tahir ◽

Sahila Nabi ◽

Shazia Javaid

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Hand Hygiene ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Hand Washing ◽

Emerging Infections ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitude And Practice

Background: Hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to control health care related infection. Every year millions of patients around the world are affected by infections that are transmitted by the health-care professionals(HCPs).(2)(3). Rationale: Nurses and physicians are the main health care workers contacting with patients, representing the vector in the chain of infection. Thus, assessing their knowledge, attitude and practice regarding hand hygiene is very important to decrease the incidence of health care related infection and to improve quality of care. Objective: The objective of our study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of handwashing among healthcare professionals of Kashmir Division. Methods: This study was an institutional based cross sectional study, conducted in various healthcare institutions of Kashmir Division which were selected randomly. A predesigned questionnaire was used to collect the data from the participants. The questionnaires contained questions about four different parts which included sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge of hand washing, attitude and practice of hand washing among healthcare professionals. The questionnaires were distributed to various healthcare professionals working in wards, emergency department, laboratories, outpatient departments, injection and dressing rooms, EPI unit and others. The distributed questionnaires were then collected back. Results: A total of 110 participants were included. Out of total 110 participants,53% were male ,36% were nurses 36% of health professionals were working in IPD (In Patient Department). 89% of the participants agreed that, direct or indirect contacts are the most important routes for transmission of hospital-acquired infections,97% agreed that  proper and consistent hand washing prevents infections in health facilities,100% agreed that health professionals should always wash their hands immediately when they arrive at health institutions,98% said that they knew steps of handwashing(WHO)/rules of hand hygiene,91% agreed that hand washing is the single most effective mechanism to prevent spread of infection and 95% agreed that wearing jewellery, artificial fingernails, damaged skin and regular use of hand cream are associated with increased likelihood of colonisation of hands with harmful germs. 83% of the participants said that they are committed to the proper rules of hand hygiene all the time,78% said they comply with rules of hand hygiene even in emergencies,80% said that they think when they are wearing gloves it is not necessary to wash hands,92% feel irritated when others don’t follow hand hygiene rules,95% advice others to follow the rules of hand hygiene and 97% said it is easy for you to follow rules of hand hygiene. 40%(each) of the participants said that they always and usually wash hands before touching a patient,100% of the participants said that they always wash hands before performing aseptic and clean procedures, 100% of the participants said that they always wash hands after being at risk of exposure to body fluids and 95% of patients said that they wash hands after coming to and before leaving the hospital. DISCUSSION In this study we had a total of 110 participants. Health professionals had a satisfactory knowledge of hand hygiene but some lacunae are still there as is evident in the result part. Thus from this study we conclude adherence to handwashing is lacking among health professionals, so we need to have regular handwashing sessions for health professionals which will regularly sensitize them, also we need to address the reasons of this poor adherence both at the administrative and personal level. We also recommend to conduct more studies in this field so as to highlight the shortcomings in hand hygiene and then to improve upon them.

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CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY OF ATTITUDE, PRACTICE AND KNOWLEDGE OF ORAL HYGIENE PRACTICES AND DENTAL TREATMENT IN HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS IN SOUTH CANARA DISTRICT.( KARNATAKA)

Journal of Health and Allied Sciences NU ◽

10.1055/s-0040-1703827 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 04 (04) ◽

pp. 028-032

Author(s):

K.S Sharath ◽

Manavi Prabhu ◽

Biju Thomas ◽

Shamila Shetty

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Oral Hygiene ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Information Needs ◽

Dental Treatment ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Hygiene Practices

Abstract Objective: The purpose of the study is to estimate the knowledge, attitude and practise of the oral hygiene,and dental treatment, and its correlation with everyday oral hygiene practices among the health care professionals of south canara district ( Karnataka) Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted on 200 health care professionals between Jan 20th to Feb 20th 2013.Two hundred health professionals were asked to answer a questionnaire containing 15 questions.Data once collected was analysed using SPSS software. Results: 56.3% health professionals visited the dentist once in six months. 26% health professionals felt that unavailability of time is the main factor influencing dental visits. Main cause of taking a dental appointment in 33% subjects was found to be dental caries. 54.6% obtained information on oral hygiene practices through mass media followed by 22.3 % who obtained it directly from the dentist.59.2% brushed their teeth twice daily.50% used medium bristle tooth brush.48.5 % had a brushing time of 3-5 min. 41.5% did not use any other oral hygiene aid.28.64% got scaling done in the last 3-6 months. 56% did not have an habit of using a tooth pick. 43.3% used combination of circular, vertical and horizontal method of brushing.45.5% felt that scaling caused loss of enamel. Conclusion: It appears that knowledge, attitude, and behaviour attitude, practice and knowledge of oral hygiene practices and dental treatment in health care professionals in South Canara district is gud.Though more information needs to be provided about other oral hygiene aids.

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Cooking Online With a Chef: Health Professionals’ Evaluation of a Live Culinary Coaching Module

Nutrition and Metabolic Insights ◽

10.1177/1178638819887397 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

pp. 117863881988739 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rani Polak ◽

Adi Finkelstein ◽

Sabrina Paganoni ◽

Rob Welch ◽

Julie K Silver

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Clinical Practice ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Learning Experience ◽

Descriptive Analysis ◽

Health Coach ◽

Educational Value ◽

Future Studies

Introduction: Cooking Online With a Chef (COWC) is a live, telemedicine module delivered by a health coach chef to participants who log in from their home kitchen. Our purpose is to identify health professionals’ perceptions on its educational value and to determine feasibility for clinical practice. Method: Sixty-four health care professionals participated in a 75-minute COWC module as active participants during a live remote Continuing Medical Education (CME) program that includes five 75-minute telemedicine sessions. Post-program questionnaire elicited feedback on the module educational value and relevance to clinical practice through Likert-type scale and open-ended questions. This report presents descriptive analysis of the Likert-type scale questions and thematic qualitative analysis of the open-ended question. Results: Seventy percent of health care professional participants rated the quality of the COWC module as either very good or excellent, and 73% rated its relevance to clinical practice as very good or excellent. Open-ended question feedback showed appreciation of the learning experience with specific suggestions about how to improve participants’ preparation for the module. Conclusions: The COWC telemedicine module was well received by self-selected health care professionals. Future studies are being planned to determine the efficacy of the module on patients’ nutrition.

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Health professionals' overestimation of knowledge on snakebite management, a threat to the survival of snakebite victims—A cross-sectional study in Ghana

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽

10.1371/journal.pntd.0008756 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. e0008756

Author(s):

Evans Paul Kwame Ameade ◽

Isaac Bonney ◽

Evans Twumasi Boateng

Keyword(s):

Health Professionals ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

De Novo ◽

Health Workers ◽

Physician Assistants ◽

World Health ◽

Knowledge Level ◽

Medical Doctors ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Service Training

Background According to the World Health Organization, snakebites, a common occupational hazard in developing countries accounts for an annual loss of between 81,000 and 138, 000 lives following 5 million bites of which 2.7 million results in envenomation. Since snakebite-associated morbidity and mortality are more prevalent in agricultural economies such as Ghana, health professionals should be optimally knowledgeable on how to manage the incidence of snakebites. Lack of knowledge or overestimation of a professional's knowledge can affect heath delivery especially for emergencies such as snakebites. The three rurally situated Tongu districts in South-Eastern Ghana with agriculture as the major source of livelihood for their inhabitants, are prone to snakebites. This study, therefore, brings up the need to assess whether the health professionals in these districts are well-equipped knowledge-wise to handle such emergencies and whether they can rightly estimate their knowledge with regards to snakebite management. Methodology/Principal findings Data was collected using a de novo semi-structured questionnaire administered through google form whose link was sent via WhatsApp to 186 health workers made up of nurses, midwives, physician assistants, medical doctors, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians. This data was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 25. Association between variables was determined using the appropriate tools where necessary, using a confidence interval of 95% and significance assumed when p ≤ 0.05. This study found male health workers significantly more knowledgeable about snakebite management (11.53±5.67 vs 9.64±5.46; p = 0.022) but it was the females who overestimated their knowledge level (27.9% vs 24.1%). The medical doctors exhibited the best knowledge on snakebite management with the registered general nurses least knowledgeable. Although most professionals overestimated their knowledge, the registered general nurses were the worst at that (53.7%). Overall knowledge of health care professionals on snakebite management was below average [10.60±5.62/22 (48.2%)] but previous in-service training and involvement in the management of snakebite were associated with better knowledge. Respondents who had no previous training overestimated their knowledge level compared to those who had some post-qualification training on snakebite management (38.1% vs 7.5%). The greatest knowledge deficit of respondents was on the management of ASV associated adverse reactions. Conclusion Health workers in rural Ghana overestimated their knowledge about snakebite management although their knowledge was low. Training schools, therefore, need to incorporate snakebite management in their curriculum and health authorities should also expose health workers to more in-service training on this neglected tropical disease.

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Determinants of occupational stress among health care professionals working at a setting of a specialized mental hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2017: a hospital-based cross-sectional study

10.21203/rs.2.14140/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Simret T/tsadike ◽

haregewoin mulat ◽

mogesie necho ◽

tsigereda waja

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Occupational Stress ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Mental Hospital ◽

Addis Ababa ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Job Dissatisfaction ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional

Abstract BACKGROUND: Stress at workplace among health professionals predisposes to an inefficient organization, absenteeism from work, job dissatisfaction, and various physical, psychological as well as behavioral health problems. Despite this, little has been done into this health issue. So, this study assessed occupational stress and its determinants among health care professionals. METHODS: Hospital-based cross-sectional study was implemented among 398 participants from May 1 to June 1, 2017, at Amanuel hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A pretested and self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Nursing stress scale was used to asses occupational stress. Data was entered to Epi-info-version-7 and analyzed with SPSS-20. Descriptive statistics were also utilized. Binary logistic regressions with odds ratios and 95% confidence interval were used. P-value < 0.05 in final model was significant. RESULTS: Among 398 participants included in the study, 393 provided complete information which gives a response rate of 98.7%. This study showed that 46.8% (95%CI: 41.7, 51.7) of health professional were having occupational stress. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis showed that working in emergency department (AOR=3.48; 95% CI: 2.12, 12.08), forensic psychiatry unit (AOR=3.48; 95% CI: 1.25, 35.06) and job dissatisfaction (AOR=2.606; 95% CI: 1.563, 4.345) were risk factors for occupational stress. CONCLUSION: Occupational stress among health professionals was high. Work-related variables (working in the emergency department and dissatisfaction with the job) were its risk factors. Attention has to be given for such an important public health issue. KEYWORDS: Health workers, occupational stress, Mental hospital, Ethiopia.

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FEEDING PRACTICES OF MOTHERS OF CHILDREN AGED 6 MONTHS TO 2 YEARS : A CROSS SECTIONAL OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

10.36106/ijar/7100281 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Amardip Kaur ◽

Ritish Saini ◽

Suman Gupta ◽

Sandeep Kaur

Keyword(s):

Child Nutrition ◽

Complementary Feeding ◽

Feeding Practices ◽

Good Health ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Medical Sciences ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Infant And Young Child ◽

Feeding Methods ◽

Antenatal Visits

Background and Objectives: Infant and young child nutrition is extremely important as it is required for good health throughout the life. The purpose of the study was to assess the current infant feeding practices in children between the age group of 6 months –2 years, to find the reason for inappropriate complementary feeding practices and to assess the knowledge of mothers regarding complementary feeding. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (AIMSR), Bathinda. Data was collected by interviewing 300 mothers on a pre-designed, semi-structured proforma with specific questionnaire. Results: Among 300 children studied, 78% of children were exclusively breastfed, 11.3% of children were mixed fed and 10.7% were top fed. In our study, 65.3 % mothers had adequate milk, so they introduced complementary feed at later age; 16.7% mothers were unaware about the weaning schedule; In 13.3% cases, child refused to eat; Poverty in 3.3% cases; traditional belief in 0.7% and inability to digest feed in 0.7% cases were the reason for late introduction of complementary feed. Conclusion: From data collected in our study, its important that regular counselling of mothers, their family members or friends is done regarding feeding practices, proper hygiene, what to do and what not to do during complementary feeding period. This counselling can be done during antenatal visits, during hospital stay and postnatal visits. This will help in managing knowledge gaps still persisting among society regarding feeding practices.

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A cross- sectional survey of health professionals across Australia and New Zealand to determine what outcome measures are important from a clinical perspective post hand burn injury

Journal of Burn Care & Research ◽

10.1093/jbcr/irab086 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Andrea Mc Kittrick ◽

Louise Gustafsson

Keyword(s):

Clinical Practice ◽

Outcome Measures ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Allied Health ◽

Burn Injury ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Burn Injuries ◽

Routine Practice ◽

Sample Population ◽

Cross Sectional

Abstract Outcome measures are used in healthcare to evaluate clinical practice, measure efficiencies and to determine the quality of health care provided. The Burns Trauma Rehabilitation: Allied Health Practice Guidelines advocates for the collection of outcome measures post burn injuries across different time points. These guidelines recommend multiple tools which can be utilised when measuring outcomes post burn injuries. The aim of this study was to gather information from specialist clinicians regarding their clinical practice and the outcome measurement tools used post hand burn injuries. This cross-sectional study used a survey design to collect data at one given point in time across a sample population. A total of 43 clinical specialists allied health professionals responded to the survey. Respondents indicated that their patients considered hand dexterity was the most important outcome. Three months post burn injury was the most common timepoint for measurement (n= 31, 72.1%) followed by six months (n=27, 62.8%). Patient report of hand function (n=42, 97.7%) and observation (n=41, 95.3%) were the most frequently reported assessment methods. The Jamar Dynamometer (n=40, 93%), goniometer (n=39, 90.7%) and pinch gauge (n=36, 83.7) were the most frequency cited assessment tools. The findings of this study suggest that clinical specialist allied health collect some outcome measures in their routine practice. Based on the respondent’s perceptions of barriers when using outcome measures and lack of reliable/ validated tools to measure hand burn outcomes, there is a need for further studies in this area.

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The Changing Nature of Palliative Care: Implications for Allied Health Professionals’ Educational and Training Needs

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare7040112 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 112 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Deidre D. Morgan ◽

Deb Rawlings ◽

Carly J. Moores ◽

Lizzie Button ◽

Jennifer J. Tieman

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Palliative Care ◽

Clinical Practice ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Online Survey ◽

Allied Health ◽

Further Education ◽

Allied Health Professionals ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Education Access

CareSearch is an Australian Government Department of Health funded repository of evidence-based palliative care information and resources. The CareSearch Allied Health Hub was developed in 2013 to support all allied health professionals working with palliative care clients in all clinical settings. This cross-sectional online survey sought to elicit allied health professionals palliative care experiences and subsequent considerations for educational and clinical practice needs. The survey was disseminated nationally via a range of organisations. Data was collected about palliative care knowledge, experience working with palliative care clients and professional development needs. Data were evaluated by profession, experience and practice setting. In total, 217 respondents answered one or more survey questions (94%). Respondents (65%) reported seeing >15 palliative care clients per month with 84% seen in hospital and community settings. Undergraduate education underprepared or partially prepared allied health professionals to work with these clients (96%) and 67% identified the need for further education. Access to postgraduate professional development was limited by available backfill and funding. Study findings support the importance of free, accessible, relevant educational and professional development resources to support clinical practice. This is particularly relevant for allied health professionals who have limited opportunities to attend formal professional development sessions.

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Current state of knowledge of basic life support in health professionals of the largest city in Pakistan: a cross-sectional study

BMC Health Services Research ◽

10.1186/s12913-019-4676-y ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Babar Irfan ◽

Ibrahim Zahid ◽

Muhammad Sharjeel Khan ◽

Omar Abdul Aziz Khan ◽

Shayan Zaidi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Basic Life Support ◽

Life Support ◽

Sudden Cardiac Arrest ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Adequate Knowledge

Abstract Background Basic Life Support (BLS) is the recognition of sudden cardiac arrest and activation of the emergency response system, followed by resuscitation, and rapid defibrillation. According to WHO, Pakistan has one of the highest mortality rates from accidental deaths therefore assessment and comparison of BLS knowledge in health professionals is crucial. We thereby aim to assess and compare the knowledge of BLS in doctors, dentists and nurses. Methods A multi-centric cross-sectional survey was conducted in Karachi at different institutions belonging to the private as well as government sector from January to March 2018. We used a structured questionnaire which was adapted from pretested questionnaires that have been used previously in similar studies. Descriptive statistics were analyzed using SPSS v22.0, where adequate knowledge was taken as a score of at least 50%. P < 0.05 was considered as significant. Logistic regression was used to identify the factors affecting the knowledge regarding BLS in health care professionals. Results The responders consisted of 140 doctors, nurses and dentists each. Only one individual (dentist) received a full score of 100%. In total, 58.3% of the population had inadequate knowledge. Average scores of doctors, dentists and nurses were 53.5, 43.3 and 38.4% respectively. Doctors, participants with prior training in BLS and those with 6 to 10 years after graduation were found to be a significant predictor of adequate knowledge, on multivariate analysis. Conclusion Even though knowledge of BLS in doctors is better than that of dentists and nurses, overall knowledge of health care professionals is extremely poor. Present study highlights the need for a structured training of BLS for health care workers.

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