Background: Dementia is a public health concern as the prevalence is increasing worldwide with the significant increase being in low-middle income countries. However, these countries appear to be less prepared in handling this rise in terms of diagnosis and management. Proper knowledge about dementia among health care staff is important to the quality of care delivered to this vulnerable population.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Gurayyat General Hospital, Saudi Arabia. Knowledge levels were inspected by using the validated Alzheimer's disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS) 30-item. All health service district staffs were invited to participate in an online survey with e-mail access. Knowledge levels were compared across some aspects, such as demographic categories, professional groups, and by the professionalism of the respondent or personal experience caring for patients with dementia. The impact of dementia-specific training or education on knowledge level was also evaluated.
Results: Overall knowledge about Alzheimer's disease was of a moderate level. Knowledge level was lower for some of the ADKS, particularly those who were more medically-oriented. Knowledge was higher for those who had attended a series of relevant workshops.
Conclusion: Professionals with direct patient contact (medical, nursing) were found to have better knowledge regarding dementia than those in a supportive role (administrative, housekeeping, security, and transport staff), according to ADKS. The staff concerned in direct patient care should need a comprehensive extended education program, with information about degrees of severity of dementia, which provide participants with specific skill sets to enable the delivery of high-quality care to these patients in an acute setting.
Key words: Alzheimer's disease, dementia, knowledge, health care staff
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