The perceived effectiveness of MERS-CoV educational programs and knowledge transfer among primary healthcare workers: a cross-sectional survey

The perceived effectiveness of MERS-CoV educational programs and knowledge transfer among primary healthcare workers: a cross-sectional survey

Meshal Aldohyan, Nedal Al-Rawashdeh, Farouk M. Sakr, Saeed Rahman, Ali I. Alfarhan, Mahmoud Salam

Abstract Background Knowledge transfer of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) involves the dissemination of created/acquired information on MERS-CoV in hospitals, making this information accessible to all healthcare workers (HCWs). This study evaluated the perceived effectiveness of MERS-CoV educational programs and knowledge transfer among primary care HCWs at a hospital in Saudi Arabia that witnessed the largest outbreak of confirmed MERS-CoV cases in this country. Methods A survey was distributed among primary care HCWs at five clinics in Saudi Arabia in 2016. Those with non-direct patient care responsibilities were excluded. Their knowledge was evaluated against facts published by Mayo Clinic Foundation, and its percentage mean score (PMS) ± standard deviation was calculated. HCWs’ perceived effectiveness of educational programs and knowledge transfer was classified as negative or positive. Results Sample comprised of 404 HCWs, of which 64% were females and 36% were males. Almost 26% were ≤ 30 years old, and 42% had > 10 years of work experience. Almost 46.5% were nurses, 23.0% physicians, 18.1% were pharmacists, and 12.4% were technical staff. PMS for knowledge was 71.1 ± 19.4. The prevalence of negative perceptions towards educational programs was 22.5% and of knowledge transfer was 20.8%. Older(> 40 years of age) and more experienced(> 10 years) HCWs had the highest PMS for knowledge(73.4 ± 18.9,P = 0.005 and 76.9 ± 15.7,P 

2019

coronavirus, MERS, education, Knowledge transfer, primary health

10.1186/s12879-019-3898-2

Epidemiology and Health

Korean Society of Epidemiology

Infectious and parasitic diseases