Zdravniški Vestnik (Sep 2003)
ASTHMA KNOWLEDGE OF PHYSICIANS AND MEDICAL NURSES IN SLOVENIA
Abstract
Background. For proper management of asthmatic patients medical personnel should have an adequate knowledge of asthma. This study presents asthma knowledge of physicians of different specialties and of medical nurses.Methods. The present study included 123 randomly selected medical nurses (60 of them finished the Asthma school educational course at University Institute of Pulmonary and Allergic Diseases, Golnik), 101 GPs, 41 pulmonologists, 62 pediatricians and 24 physicians of school medicine. Their level of knowledge of clinical picture, pharmacology, treatment, education and classification of severity of asthma were studied.Results. Pulmonologists had the highest level of knowledge of all studied parameters (72.5%) while the lowest total knowledge was found in general practitioners (62.7%). Medical nurses showed the modest total knowledge (53%). Physicians mastered the best clinical picture of asthma (83.5%) and its prevention (79.5%). They knew less about the treatment (70.4%), pharmacology (61.8%) or education (69.1). Physicians had a very low level of knowledge of classifying severity of persistent asthma (38.3%). Medical nurses, who finished Asthma school, had much greater level of knowledge (56.7%) than medical nurses with other additional education (31.8%) or without any additional education (30.4%). Self-management plan was found in 56.4% of pediatricians, 58.5% of pulmonologists and in only 23.3% of GPs.Conclusions. The level of knowledge of tested medical personnel was low, especially in GPs and school physicians. It is important to perform educational courses, as medical nurses, who finished Asthma school of University Institute of Pulmonary and Allergic Diseases Golnik, had much higher level of knowledge compared to other tested medical nurses. It would be obligatory to raise the level of knowledge of asthma of GPs and school physicians.
