Health professionals’ knowledge on multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Current quantitative and descriptive study discussing health professionals’ knowledge on Multiple Sclerosis was undertaken in eight out of the 17 general hospitals in Teresina PI Brazil in 2008. A non-probabilistic sample comprised 100 health professionals who were interviewed on issues concerning relevant aspects of the disease, such as its signs and symptoms, the disease’s natural history, its prevention and treatment. Answers, displayed by tables and graphs, were analyzed according to the literature. Analysis showed 79% of the health professionals were female, of whom 20% were nurses, 20% physiotherapists, 18% speech therapists, 15% physicians, 15% nutritionists and 12% psychologists. Their sources of information on the disease were books (63%) and the Internet (39%). Approximately 84% failed to describe a multiple sclerosis onset, whereas 82% and 65% respectively ignored the disease’s causes and its treatment. It may be concluded that health professionals in the general hospitals in Teresina lack sufficient knowledge on the topic of multiple sclerosis.