Appraisal of Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Trained Doctors Regarding IMNCI

Abstract

Background: It is estimated that more than 6 million children die in the developing world at the hands of preventable conditions; primarily pneumonia and diarrhea. WHO in 1992 initiated the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) program as a strategy to provide an integrated approach for the management of major causes of childhood morbidity and mortality. Objective: To assess if IMNCI workshops that are held in hospitals that have post graduate training program in field of pediatrics are effective in enhancing knowledge; hence skills for improving health care delivery in limited resources. Methods: A KAP survey was conducted in 2013 among IMNCI trained doctors working in 5 tertiary care hospitals of Karachi. N=57 doctors were identified and administered a structured questionnaire based on recall questions and scenarios. Questionnaire was developed from a similar study conducted elsewhere. Data entry and analysis was done on SPSS version 20. Results: A total of n=57 doctors were included in the study, out of them resident medical officers (RMO) were n=10, postgraduate trainees (PG) n=38 and Medical Officers (MO) were n=9. Mean score of correct answers was 14 (3). No significant difference was observed when mean scores of PGs was compared with RMO and MO combined through application of Independent sample t test. Conclusion: The study revealed gaps in knowledge and practices of trained doctors regarding management according to IMNCI guidelines. Key Words: IMNCI, Vaccination, WHO, Training Programs.