An analysis for awareness of knowledge about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and effectiveness of training among rural practitioners in Haiyang, Shandong / 中华全科医师杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To understand awareness of basic concepts, diagnosis, treatment and patient education for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among practitioners in rural new cooperative medical scheme (NCMS) and evaluate effectiveness of training for them in Haiyang, Shandong.Methods In total, 116 practitioners, two or three randomly selected from each of 43 NCMS service stations under the Third People's Hospital of Haiyang, were surveyed with questionnaire and then systematic training was provided for them. Another survey was conducted among them a half and two years after the first one with the same questionnaire. Results At the first survey, only 9.5 % (11/116) of the practitioners surveyed knew about "Guidelines for Prevention and Control of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease",19. 8 % (23/116) knew clinical characteristics of COPD, 29. 3 % (34/116) knew that pulmonary function test is gold standard for COPD diagnosis, 62. 9 % (73/116) knew that smoking is major inductive factor for COPD and could persuade patients to quit smoking, only 2.6 % (3/116) could make registration for the patients and provide health education for them, 48. 3 % (56/116) knew that the patients should be immunized with influenza vaccine, and 7. 8 % (9/116) knew long-term oxygen therapy for the patients. At the second survey, 94. 8 % (110/116) of the practitioners surveyed knew about " Guidelines for Prevention and Control of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease", all of them knew characteristics of COPD, that pulmonary function test is gold standard for COPD diagnosis, smoking is major inductive factor for COPD,could make registration for COPD patients and provide health education for them, 99. 1% (115/116) used influenza vaccine for COPD patients, and 99. 1% (115/116) knew long-term oxygen therapy for the patients. Conclusions Systematic training for COPD knowledge among practitioners in rural NCMS seems to be significantly beneficial for their awareness about the illness and to improve their abilities of prevention and treatment for it in rural areas.