Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Healthcare Professionals on COVID-19 and Risk Assessment to Prevent the Epidemic Spread: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study from Punjab, Pakistan

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Naveel Atif¹  Yu Fang¹  Mingyue Zhao¹  Usman Rashid Malik¹  Minghuan Jiang¹  Caijun Yang¹  Fahad Saleem²  Furqan Khurshid Hashmi³  Muhammad Islam³  Hamid Saeed³ 

[1]Department of Pharmacy Administration and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xian Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China

[2]Department of Pharmacy, University of Balochistan, Quetta, Balochistan 87900, Pakistan

[3]University College of Pharmacy, University of The Punjab, Lahore, Punjab 54000, Pakistan

关键词: KAP;    COVID-19;    healthcare professionals;    risk assessment;    Pakistan;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph17176395

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

In the current outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), healthcare professionals (HCPs) have a primary role in combating the epidemic threat. HCPs are at high risk of not only contracting the infection but also spreading it unknowingly. It is of utmost importance to evaluate their knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) and the ability to assess the risks associated with the outbreak. A cross-sectional online survey involving physicians, pharmacists, and nurses was conducted. A 39-itemed questionnaire based on the World Health Organization (WHO)COVID-19 risk assessment tool was shared with healthcare professionals in three purposively selected key divisions of Punjab province. Out of 500 healthcare professionals, 385 responded to the survey. The majority (70%) were aged 22–29 years; 144 (37.4%) physicians, 113 (29.4%) nurses, and 128 (33.2%) pharmacists completed the survey. Overall, 94.8% of healthcare professionals scored adequately (>14) for COVID-19-related knowledge; 97.9% displayed an optimistic attitude (>42) and 94.5% had an adequate practice score (>28). Kruskal–Wallis and Jonckheere–Terpstra tests showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in KAP and risk assessment scores among groups; physicians and nurses scored higher as compared to pharmacists. Further research and follow-up investigations on disaster management and risk assessment can help policy-makers better tackle future epidemics.

【 授权许可】

Unknown