Effect of intensive education on stroke prevention and management ability of community doctors: a cross-sectional study

• Published in: BMC medical education Vol. 22; no. 1; p. 53
• Main Authors: Zhong, Xue-Min, Huang, Yao, He, Lanying, Wang, Jian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 24-01-2022; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Administrator Education; Cardiac arrhythmia; Care and treatment; Clinical competence; Community doctors; Community health care; Community Health Services; Community Relations; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data Processing; Diabetes; Distance Education; Education; Evaluation; Exercise; Family physicians; Guidelines; Health services; Hospitals; Humans; Hypertension; Intensive education; Knowledge; Medical education; Medical Services; Obesity; Physicians; Prevention; Public Health; Questionnaires; Response rates; Response Rates (Questionnaires); Risk Factors; Sampling; Statistical analysis; Stroke; Stroke (Disease); Stroke - prevention & control; Stroke management; Stroke, stroke prevention and treatment; Substance abuse treatment; Surveys and Questionnaires; Transient ischemic attack; China; Stroke management; Intensive education; Stroke, stroke prevention and treatment; Community doctors
• ISSN: 1472-6920; 1472-6920
• DOI: 10.1186/s12909-022-03125-z

Prevention and treatment of stroke are extremely important to reduce the incidence of stroke-related disability and the associated death. This study aimed to investigate the current ability of community doctors in stroke management in the Jinjiang district of Chengdu, China, and the effect of intensive education on stroke prevention and management ability of these doctors.
A self-designed questionnaire was used to investigate the current status of stroke management by community doctors in the Jinjiang district. Subsequently, a series of intensive stroke management education courses for community doctors was designed according to the relevant guidelines for cerebrovascular accident prevention and treatment in China. All community doctors were trained, and their ability to treat and prevent stroke was reassessed using the self-designed questionnaire.
Of the 450 questionnaires issued, 370 (82.2%) and 389 (86.4%) community doctors were enrolled before and after intensive education, respectively. The results showed that only 37.8% of the community doctors in the Jinjiang district knew the guidelines for the prevention and treatment of cerebrovascular diseases, and only 45.9% thought they had stroke management ability. The stroke management ability of community doctors improved after intensive education (p < 0.05), including pre-hospital identification and management of stroke, and management of its risk factors.
The capacity of community doctors in the Jinjiang district of Chengdu is far from meeting the requirements of stroke prevention and treatment. However, the stroke management ability of the community doctors was greatly improved by promoting intensive education.