A survey of health professions students for knowledge, attitudes, and confidence about tuberculosis, 2005

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In 2003 the NIH perceived a need to strengthen teaching about tuberculosis (TB) to health professions students. The National Tuberculosis Curriculum Consortium (NTCC) was funded to meet this need. The purpose of this study was to sur...

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Main Authors: Catanzaro Antonino, Hoffman Helene, Harrity Shawn, Jackson Marguerite
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2007-08-01
Series:BMC Public Health
Online Access:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/7/219
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author Catanzaro Antonino
Hoffman Helene
Harrity Shawn
Jackson Marguerite
author_facet Catanzaro Antonino
Hoffman Helene
Harrity Shawn
Jackson Marguerite
author_sort Catanzaro Antonino
collection DOAJ
description <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In 2003 the NIH perceived a need to strengthen teaching about tuberculosis (TB) to health professions students. The National Tuberculosis Curriculum Consortium (NTCC) was funded to meet this need. The purpose of this study was to survey students enrolled in NTCC schools prior to NTCC-developed educational materials being made available to faculty.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A self-administered survey for students in NTCC schools to establish a baseline level of knowledge, attitudes, and confidence about tuberculosis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>1480/2965 (50%) students in 28 programs in 20 NTCC schools completed the survey. If public health students are eliminated from totals (only 61 respondents of 765 public health students), the overall response proportion for the seven clinically-related disciplines was 64.5%. The majority (74%) were in schools of medicine (MD/DO), undergraduate nursing (BSN), and pharmacy (PharmD); others were in programs for physician assistants (PA), advanced practice nursing (NP/APN), respiratory therapy (RT), clinical laboratory sciences (MT/CLS), and public health (MPH). Almost 90% had attended at least one lecture about TB. Although 91.4% knew TB was transmitted via aerosols, about one-third did not know the method for administering tuberculin, or that Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine was not a contraindication to TB skin testing. Fewer than two-thirds knew that about 10% of people in the U.S.A. who have latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and a normal immune system will develop TB disease, or that BCG is not part of the routine vaccination program in the U.S.A. because it complicates surveillance for new TB infection.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>There is room for improvement in knowledge, attitudes, and confidence about TB by health professions students surveyed. The NTCC-developed educational products may be used by faculty to improve student performance to be assessed with future surveys.</p>
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spelling doaj.art-096541998221461fb8dc422ea06118e22022-12-21T18:12:08ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582007-08-017121910.1186/1471-2458-7-219A survey of health professions students for knowledge, attitudes, and confidence about tuberculosis, 2005Catanzaro AntoninoHoffman HeleneHarrity ShawnJackson Marguerite<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In 2003 the NIH perceived a need to strengthen teaching about tuberculosis (TB) to health professions students. The National Tuberculosis Curriculum Consortium (NTCC) was funded to meet this need. The purpose of this study was to survey students enrolled in NTCC schools prior to NTCC-developed educational materials being made available to faculty.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A self-administered survey for students in NTCC schools to establish a baseline level of knowledge, attitudes, and confidence about tuberculosis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>1480/2965 (50%) students in 28 programs in 20 NTCC schools completed the survey. If public health students are eliminated from totals (only 61 respondents of 765 public health students), the overall response proportion for the seven clinically-related disciplines was 64.5%. The majority (74%) were in schools of medicine (MD/DO), undergraduate nursing (BSN), and pharmacy (PharmD); others were in programs for physician assistants (PA), advanced practice nursing (NP/APN), respiratory therapy (RT), clinical laboratory sciences (MT/CLS), and public health (MPH). Almost 90% had attended at least one lecture about TB. Although 91.4% knew TB was transmitted via aerosols, about one-third did not know the method for administering tuberculin, or that Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine was not a contraindication to TB skin testing. Fewer than two-thirds knew that about 10% of people in the U.S.A. who have latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and a normal immune system will develop TB disease, or that BCG is not part of the routine vaccination program in the U.S.A. because it complicates surveillance for new TB infection.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>There is room for improvement in knowledge, attitudes, and confidence about TB by health professions students surveyed. The NTCC-developed educational products may be used by faculty to improve student performance to be assessed with future surveys.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/7/219
spellingShingle Catanzaro Antonino
Hoffman Helene
Harrity Shawn
Jackson Marguerite
A survey of health professions students for knowledge, attitudes, and confidence about tuberculosis, 2005
BMC Public Health
title A survey of health professions students for knowledge, attitudes, and confidence about tuberculosis, 2005
title_full A survey of health professions students for knowledge, attitudes, and confidence about tuberculosis, 2005
title_fullStr A survey of health professions students for knowledge, attitudes, and confidence about tuberculosis, 2005
title_full_unstemmed A survey of health professions students for knowledge, attitudes, and confidence about tuberculosis, 2005
title_short A survey of health professions students for knowledge, attitudes, and confidence about tuberculosis, 2005
title_sort survey of health professions students for knowledge attitudes and confidence about tuberculosis 2005
url http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/7/219
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