Knowledge Utilisation in AgriFood SMEs: Effects of Organisational and Informational Factors

Given the critical role of information and marketing in SME management it is surprising that little attention has been paid to the salient factors that motivate or inhibits consumer information used by agrifood SMEs. A model of organisational and informational factors affecting knowledge utilisation in Agri-food SMEs is presented and empirically tested through partial least squares analysis via SmartPLS. The results of the empirical testing of the conceptual model provide evidence to indicate that functional and technical qualities, provider-user interaction and usefulness in the market environment are determinants of knowledge utilisation. The findings of this study have implications for agri-food SME management in the UK regarding their growth and competitiveness in the medium and long term.

Knowledge and practices of myofascial pain syndrome of the temporomandibular joint by dentists in the Greater eThekwini region

BACKGROUND: Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) affect up to fifteen percent of adults. It produces craniofacial pain of musculoskeletal structures within the head and neck. One particular cause of TMDs is said to be myofascial pain syndrome (MFPS), which according to various research papers, if not considered and/or assessed, the general cause of a patient’s pain could be disregarded and incorrect treatment offered. Numerous studies conducted internationally on dental management of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD) concluded that there is a significant gap in dentists’ education and training regarding the identification and management of MFPS. Upon reviewing the current literature available in South Africa, very little research existed on dentists’ knowledge and the management strategies that they utilised regarding MFPS in TMJD patients. OBJECTIVES: To determine the dentists’ knowledge regarding MFPS of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). What assessment and treatment/management strategies they use, and whether they make use of referral networks and if the respondents’ demographics influence their knowledge, utilisation, perception and referral patterns. METHODOLOGY: The researcher developed a research questionnaire, which was validated by both an expert and a pilot study group. This questionnaire was then used as a research tool in this cross-sectional study. General dental practitioners from the Greater eThekwini Region received an invitation to participate. The questionnaire-based survey consisted of five sections: biographical profile of respondents; topic background; perception; knowledge; utilisation and management (including referral patterns) of MFPS. RESULTS: The majority of respondents did receive basic education in MFPS, with 76.9% reporting that they received undergraduate education and 57.7% indicating that they had attended post-graduate courses/talks on MFPS. There was a 100% response from dentists indicating their willingness to attend post-graduate courses/talks on MFPS. The results indicated that the respondents, who felt that their curriculum regarding MFPS was sufficient, were more knowledgeable and more competent in diagnosing and managing MFPS. Overall, the average score for knowledge was 65.17%. Clinical features (78.85%) and the perpetuating and relieving factors (72.11%) scored the highest while causes (58.06%) and differential diagnoses (51.16%) scored the lowest knowledge levels. Respondents mostly made use of allopathic medical fields, and not of alternative medical fields, however a high number of respondents (73.1%) indicated that they would consider chiropractic co–management of patients with MFPS. CONCLUSION: This study adds new information in the South African context regarding dentists’ understanding of the myofascial component of TMDs. It also provides the dental profession with information about the knowledge and practices related to MFPS as well as information regarding the strengths and weaknesses on its educational component. It is recommended that dentists receive additional training on differential diagnoses and causes. It is also recommended that the chiropractic profession take this opportunity to offer courses/talks on MFPS and join forces with the dentistry profession on how they can assist in managing patients with MFPS.

Knowledge, utilisation and perceptions of the chiropractic profession by general practitioners in Harare, Zimbabwe

Background: There have been an increased number of patients using complementary alternative medicine (CAM), including chiropractic care. All population age groups are utilising chiropractic treatment for various ailments. Research has shown that general practitioners have limited knowledge and perception about chiropractic in many countries. Their perception towards other health care professionals is important, particularly in their role as gatekeepers in the health care system. The current perception in Zimbabwe is thought to be no referral of patients between general practitioners and chiropractors and a low degree of knowledge amongst general practitioners about chiropractic. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge, utilisation and perceptions of general practitioners in Harare, Zimbabwe. Objectives: • To establish the knowledge about chiropractic amongst general practitioners in Harare, Zimbabwe. • To determine perceived role and utilisation of chiropractic by general practitioners in Harare, Zimbabwe. • To determine the relationships, if any, between knowledge, perception, and utilisation of chiropractic by general practitioners in Harare, Zimbabwe. Methods: The study was a descriptive, quantitative, cross-sectional study using a structured questionnaire adapted from similar studies. The questionnaire was validated by means of a focus group discussion. The survey was conducted on a random sample of 72 general practitioners practising in the Avenues area of Harare, Zimbabwe. A single stage sampling techniques was used to select participants from a list of 88 registered general practitioners from the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe who met the inclusion criteria. Questionnaires were provided to general practitioners who were in private practice in the Avenues area of Harare, Zimbabwe at the time of the study by the researcher. The data collected was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS)® 2.4 (IBM, Armonk, NY. USA) software at a statistical significance of p<0.05. Pearson’s correlation was used to assess the relationship between continuous variables, while the t test was used to copmare the mean scores between independent binary variables. Results: Many of the participants had some kind of knowledge regarding chiropractic modalities, areas of chiropractic specialisation but only a few had adequate knowledge and a good perception of it. General practitioners who were knowledgeable about chiropractic tended to have a positive perception and were more likely to refer patients to a chiropractor. A response rate of 54.5 percent was achieved. Most of the respondents tended to be in the age group of 35-54 and most were female (54.2 percent). Over 90 percent of the participants referred patients with musculoskeletal complaints to physiotherapists while only 16.67 percent referred to chiropractors. More than 65 percent of the participants responded that they knew something about chiropractic, and of these almost 50 percent obtained their information from the media. Over 80 percent of the participants who knew something about chiropractic thought that extremities, neuro-musculoskeletal system, rehabilitation and sports injuries were areas chiropractors can specialise in. Almost all the participants who knew something about chiropractic were aware of adjustments or manipluation of joints as modalities of chiropractic treatment. Majority (75.8 percent) of the participants who knew something about chiropractic thought that chiropractic could help selected conditions, while only 3 percent felt it was not effective and 21.2 percent felt they were not informed enough to comment. GP’s surveyed considered chronic back pain (91 percent), sports trauma (85 percent), shoulder/knee problems (79 percent), arthritis (76 percent), back and pelvic problems during pregnancy (70 percent), nerve root entrapment (70 percent) and carpal tunnel syndromme (70 percent) as some of the appropriate conditions for chiropractors to treat. Forty two percent of the GP’s referred patients to chiropractors mostly on both the patient’s request and their own judgment. The main reason for not referring patients to chiropractors cited by most (70 percent) of the GPs was limited knowledge about chiropractic care. There was a statistically significant and moderately high positive correlation between knowledge and perception scores (r=0.668). This study suggests that GP’s who have a higher degree of knowledge about chiropractic tend to have a positive perception of chiropractic. There was a non-significant difference in knowledge between those who refer patients and those who do not (p=0.425). In this study knowlegde about chiropractic did not significantly influence referral to chiropractors. There was however a statistically significant difference in perception between those who refer patients and those who do not (p=0.006). The perceptions were higher in those who refer patients compared to those who do not refer patients. Perceptions were found to determine utilisation rather than knowledge even though there was a correlation between the two.