Making the case for the evolving role of social media in health professions education and a literature review on the application of some in ophthalmology

Background and Objective:Social media(SoMe)has emerged as a tool in health professions education(HPE),particularly amidst the challenges posed by the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic.Despite the academia’s initial skepticism SoMe has been gaining traction in supporting learning communities,and offering opportunities for innovation in HPE.Our study aims to explore the integration of SoMe in HPE.Four key components were outlined as necessary for a successful integration,and include designing learning experiences,defining educator roles,selecting appropriate platforms,and establishing educational objectives.Methods:This article stemmed from the online Teaching Skills Series module on SoMe in education from the Ophthalmology Foundation,and drew upon evidence supporting learning theories relevant to SoMe integration and models of education.Additionally,we conducted a literature review considering Englishlanguage articles on the application of SoMe in ophthalmology from PubMed over the past decade.Key Content and Findings:Early adopters of SoMe platforms in HPE have leveraged these tools to enhance learning experiences through interaction,dialogue,content sharing,and active learning strategies.By integrating SoMe into educational programs,both online and in-person,educators can overcome time and geographical constraints,fostering more diverse and inclusive learning communities.Careful consideration is,however,necessary to address potential limitations within HPE.Conclusions:This article lays groundwork for expanding SoMe integration in HPE design,emphasizing the supportive scaffold of various learning theories,and the need of furthering robust research on examining its advantages over traditional educational formats.Our literature review underscores an ongoing multifaceted,random application of SoMe platforms in ophthalmology education.We advocate for an effective incorporation of SoMe in HPE education,with the need to comply with good educational practice.

Experience of Mental Health Professionals Collaborating with Peer Supporters in a Community Mental Health Service Team

This study explored how mental health professionals collaborate with peer supporters with mental disabilities in a community mental health institution.From January 19 to February 23,2021,three 60 min interviews were conducted with six mental health professionals working at a Korean community center.The results were qualitatively analyzed and divided into four themes and eight categories.The four themes were the perceptions of and challenges in working with peer supporters with mental disabilities,conflict and confusion about working with peer supporters,forming partnerships with peer supporters,and policy support for peer supporters’job security.Participants reported vague anxiety about working with a peer supporter and difficulties with the trial-and-error process of adjusting to the role as challenging.Over time,however,they realized that they needed to make an effort to develop meaningful relationships with peer supporters and mental health professionals.Thus,through this study,we realized that there was a need to improve the system,such as building infrastructure for job stability for peer support workers and capacity building tailored to the mental disorders.Although peer supporters play various roles while working with mental health professionals,this study showed the possibility of mutual growth through communication and cooperation.These findings will help prepare systems necessary for collaboration between the two teams amidst the increasing institutionalization of peer support for mental disorders.

Building the Capacity of Health Professionals in Monitoring and Evaluation in a Public Health Institution: Experience of the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) of Côte d’Ivoire

Background: In the context of the fight against HIV, a lack of skills in monitoring and evaluating the personnel in charge of activities has been identified at the national level. It was the subject of a priority axis of the national plan for monitoring and evaluating the fight against HIV (2006-2010) that was aimed at strengthening the capacities of actors in this area. To increase the critical mass of competent human resources in the short term, the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) of Côte d’Ivoire organized monitoring and evaluation training sessions for healthcare professionals from 2011 to 2016. Methods: A single case study with multiple levels of analysis was carried out, combining a qualitative survey and a literature review. An evaluation was carried out six months after each training session. In addition, the results of the pre- and post-tests and of the daily and final evaluations that accompanied the various training sessions were used to provide further information. The qualitative data collected were analyzed using INVIVO 15 software. Results: Some 89 health professionals (69% men and 31% women) working at the national level (51% at the central level, including 58% in health programs) and in development partner agencies (37%) participated in this capacity building program. Most participants were senior health managers (56%), data managers (23%), and statisticians and computer scientists (10%). Almost all the trainings were financed by 16 technical and financial partners (85%), mainly the MEASURE Evaluation project (27%). Conclusion: M&E training, despite all its imperfections, has made it possible to identify M&E training needs at the national level and to increase the critical mass of national skills and to have some culture in M&E.

Knowledge and skills of neonatal resuscitation of health professionals at a university teaching hospital of Northwest Ethiopia

BACKGROUND:Competency in neonatal resuscitation is critical in the delivery rooms,neonatology units and pediatrics intensive care units to ensure the safety and health of neonates. Each year,millions of babies do not breathe immediately at birth,and among them the majority require basic neonatal resuscitation. Perinatal asphyxia is a major contributor to neonatal deaths worldwide in resource-limited settings. Neonatal resuscitation is effective only when health professionals have sufficient knowledge and skills. But malpractices by health professionals are frequent in the resuscitation of neonates. The present study was to assess the knowledge and skills of health professionals about neonatal resuscitation.METHODS:An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted in our hospital from February15 to April 30,2014. All nurses,midwives and residents from obstetrics-gynecology(obsgyn),midwifery and pediatric departments were included. The mean scores of knowledge and skills were compared for sex,age,type of profession,qualification,year of service and previous place of work of the participants by using Student's t test and ANOVA with Scheffe's test. A P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTS:One hundred and thirty-five of 150 participants were included in this study with a response rate of 90.0%. The overall mean scores of knowledge and skills of midwives,nurses and residents were 19.9(SD=3.1) and 6.8(SD=3.9) respectively. The mean knowledge scores of midwives,nurses,pediatric residents and obs-gyn residents were 19.7(SD=3.03),20.2(SD=2.94),19.7(SD=4.4) and 19.6(SD=3.3) respectively. Whereas the mean scores of skills of midwives,nurses,pediatric residents and obs-gyn residents were 7.1(SD=4.17),6.7(SD=3.75),5.7(SD=4.17) and 6.6(SD=3.97) respectively.CONCLUSIONS:The knowledge and skills of midwives,nurses and residents about neonatal resuscitation were substandardized. Training of neonatal resuscitation for midwives,nurses and residents should be emphasized.

Levels of vocational satisfaction,burnout and compassion fatigue of health professionals working in pediatric clinics

BACKGROUND Burnout and compassion fatigue are affecting the quality of professional life.AIM To investigate the levels of vocational satisfaction,burnout,and compassion fatigue and factors that may be related to health professionals working in children’s clinics.METHODS The study sample was in the west of Turkey.Data were collected using the questionnaire form and the quality of life scale for employees.RESULTS The findings obtained in this study showed that the level of vocational satisfaction of female health professionals and the burnout level of male health professionals were higher.The professional satisfaction of the doctors was lower than that of the nurses and midwives,and the mean score of burnout and fatigue was high.CONCLUSION Further studies are needed on this topic to help improve the factors that may affect the professional quality of life of health professionals.

Compliance with Hand Hygiene among Health Professionals in the Medical-Surgical Emergency Department of the Donka National Hospital

Introduction: The transmission of infectious agents through the hands of nursing staff during care is the main cause of nosocomial infections. Hand hygiene has been recognized for over a century as an effective measure to prevent healthcare associated infections in healthcare settings, the objective of this study was to appreciate the practice of hand hygiene during care by health professionals in the medical-surgical emergency department of the Donka National Hospital. Methods: It was a cross-sectional, analytical study. Data collection took place from March 1 to April 30, 2021. The study covered all health professionals, namely doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, radiography technicians, pharmacists, students, stretcher bearers, surfactants who were present at the time of the study period. Results: During the study period, out of a total of 104 registered health professionals, we surveyed 99, which is a rate of 95%. The most represented age group was [30 - 39 years] with an average of 37.17 ± 10.34 years, and extremes of 22 years to 65 years. The male sex was the most dominant or 59.60% compared to the female sex or 40.40% with a sex ratio of 1.47. The hand hygiene compliance rate was low at 21%. The practice of hand hygiene during care for 100% of health professionals was very low, at 8.08%. No factors influence the observance of the practice of hand hygiene and the socio-professional characteristics of the conditions of provision of care activities. Conclusion: Hand hygiene during care is an essential aspect that must be considered as an essential measure in the prevention of infections in this period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The healthcare environment—The importance of aesthetic surroundings: Health professionals’ experiences from a surgical ward in Finland

There is a growing acceptance of the vital role patient centered design plays in shaping the environment. Art can be of use in every area of health care. It is within the power of each person to share and interpret experience by means of the arts, by viewing the work of others, and by using feelings and imagination. Health professionals [n = 24 of a total of n = 35], answered the Wheel Questionnaire test instrument. It measures structure, motivation/engagement, and degree of emotional investment in a situation. Participants were requested to describe, in their own words, their perception of the enrichment of the ward interiordesign and the double-sided photos with a short poetic text, and the photo-book placed at each patient room. The results demonstrate that participants are motivated, structured and emotionally engaged when describing the new enrichment. The domains and themes are: Social interaction domain;rising thoughts and conversations. Comfort domain;atmosphere. Aesthetic do main;enrichment of the working environment. It could be concluded that the surgical ward environmental enrichment stimulated conversations between health professionals and between health professionals and patients and should be regarded as an important aspect in hospital planning.

Teaching Physical Assessment and Disease Screening to Students in the Health Professions: A Focus in Pharmacy Education

Background: As pharmacists continue to transition into the provision of public health care, physical assessment and disease screening will become part of their everyday practice, in a similar manner that it has been for doctors and nurses. Objective: The aim was to describe the health assessment of undergraduate curricula across three disciplines involved in public health care and to explore the students’ perceived training in a variety of health assessments. Method: Instructors of courses related to health assessment in medicine, nursing, and pharmacy colleges in Qatar were invited to participate in the curriculum review process. Students’ perceived training in a variety of health assessments was assessed using a self-administered survey. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the survey responses. Results: A narrative description for the similarities and differences in the health assessment curricula across the three colleges was provided. Blood pressure, heart rate, and heart sounds were the health assessments that almost all students received training on, although there were differences in where the training was delivered. The health assessments that the students perceived having received least training on were measuring bone mineral density, blood cholesterol and international normalized ratio reported by only 37%, 41% and 44% of students, respectively. Conclusion: The study identified a close alignment between each of the health discipline’s scope of practice and the health assessment content taught in each individual program. It also identified possible curricular gaps towards learning the skills of patient assessment that may need to be addressed.

Intention to Leave and Associated Factors among Health Professionals in Jimma Zone Public Health Centers, Southwest Ethiopia

Background: Inadequate human resources are a major constraint to improving global health. The health sector is characterized by a high turnover coupled with internal as well as external brain drain but there is little information on intention to leave among health professionals in public health centers of Jimma Zone, Oromia Regional State. The aim of this study is to assess intention to leave and associated factors among health professionals in public health centers of Jimma Zone, southwest Ethiopia. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative and qualitative study was conducted on seven randomly selected woredas (districts) which have 53 public health centers. All health professionals in sampled district public health centers were included (n = 505). Factor analysis was employed for all Likert scale instruments to extract factor(s) representing each of the scales using SPSS version 16.0. The qualitative data was analyzed by thematic analysis methods. Ethical approval was obtained from Jimma University. Results: Four hundred fifty five (90.1%) health professionals participated in the study;out of this, 290 (63.7%) had intention to leave. Among variables, job satisfaction (Beta = -0.298, (95% CI, -0.568 to -0.029), working environment (Beta = -0.612, (95% CI, -0.955 to -0.270), and organizational management (Beta = -0.552, (95% CI, 0.289 to 0.815) had statistically significant association with intention to leave among health professionals in public health centers of Jimma Zone. Conclusions: The overall intention to leave among health professionals was high. Level of job satisfaction, working environment, work pressure, and organizational management had statistically significant association with intention to leave. Thus, responsible bodies should aggressively work on the concerns identified, like, improvements in salary, promotion in terms of training/educational opportunity, improving working environment, and transfer of health professionals, and improvement of the leadership skills of managers.

Study on the demand for public health professional after the COVID-19 epidemic in Zhejiang Province, China: A survey based on human-machine collaboration

To understand the needs of public health institutions in Zhejiang Province,China for public health personnel,and provide basis for training public health personnel.Methods:512 public health institutions in Zhejiang Province were randomly selected from different levels and regions,and the number of ublic health professional and the demand for professional ability were investigated by questionnaire.Results:The preventive medicine personnel in public health institutions in Zhejiang Province are insufficient;There is a certain disjunction or dislocation between the abilities and needs of public health professional;The way of continuing education for public health professional is single and the opportunities are few.Conclusion:Zhejiang Province should appropriately expand the enrollment of preventive medicine majors,especially high-level preventive medicine talents,deepen the education and teaching reform of preventive medicine majors,and strengthen the continuing education and training of public health professional to meet the needs of public health services after the COVID-19 epidemic.

Magnitude and associated factors of health professionals’ attrition from public health sectors in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia

Background: Attrition of health professionals from public health sectors is found to be a barrier to effectiveness of health systems and to provide essential health service to population. In Ethiopia, the public health system is the major provider of health care service to the people. In particular, the poor segment of community uses public hospital, health centers and clinic, since the private health facilities are inaccessible and unaffordable to them. The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude and factors associated with health professionals’ attrition from public health sectors in Bahir Dar city. Methods: A Facility based cross-sectional study was conducted in September-October 2012. All inclusive sampling techniques of five years document reviews were used to select 727 health professional documents. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using structured questionnaires and indepth-interview guides respectively, by trained data collectors. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, proportion and chi square test) were used to describe the study population in relation to relevant variables. To identify independent predictors of attrition, only variables that were statistically significant during bivariate analysis were entered into multiple logistic regression models to control the effects of confounders. Pvalues sex, marital status, educational status, workplace, current salary, professional category and work experience were the main factors associated with health professionals’ attrition from public health sectors. Conclusion: The findings showed that the level of health professionals’ attrition is high in the study area. Policy makers and health mangers should design appropriate retention strategies for health professionals at public health sectors in terms of most associated factors with attritions of health professionals to reduce the prevalence of health professionals’ attrition from public health sectors in collaboration with development partners and concerned body.

International Health Professional Migration and Brain Waste: A Situation of Double-Jeopardy

The migration of health professionals from low- and middle-income to high-income countries has received much attention amongst the global health community as an important factor influencing health care systems. There is however, much less dialogue about internationally trained health professionals who are not able to practice their professions in their countries of destination, a phenomenon labelled as “brain waste”. It has been shown that the integration of internationally trained health professionals in their country of destination is hindered due to inadequate language skills, a lack of local work experience, cultural incompetency, and barriers to the recognition of credentials from foreign academics and professionals. To maximize gains from migration of health professionals and to minimize the negative impacts, we need policies with proper guidelines for practical strategies to better integrate health professional immigrants into the workforce of destination countries. These policies and action plans should also foster healthcare system capacity building and appropriate compensation in low- and middle-income

Obesity communication among patients by health professionals: Findings from the Weight Care Project

Obesity is on the increase worldwide and is a major global public health problem. In an increasingly obesogenic environment, it’s important that health professionals are equipped to identify and address obesity issues within their clinical practice. As part of the Weight Care Project, the aim of this study was to explore the obesity-related communication issues for primary care and community-based health professionals. The study design was a quantitative survey, which was completed by 382 primary care and community-based health professionals across Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland working with adults and children. Key findings included that the majority of the health professionals (86%) recognized having a role in giving obesity advice, acknowledged that in clinical practice communication of obesity messages is both complex and challenging (81%), and reported difficulty in sensitively addressing obesity issues (27%). The health professionals surveyed stated that they communicate obesity messages to their patients using a range of different methods, mainly verbally to individuals, leaflets and factsheets. Numerous benefits of communicating obesity messages were reported;the main one was interacting with patients to build trust. Identified barriers to commu nication were: limited time in patient consultations, restricted access to appropriate information, and not sure where to access appropriate resources. Communication needed be reported by the health professionals included provision of greater resources, more information on obesity management and prevention, followed by health communication training, and clear and consistent messages. Significant differences were observed, including significantly much younger health professionals considered their role to provide obesity advice (P = 0.025). It is clear from this study that health professionals view as important the need to be given information on “what” and “how” to communicate with their patients on obesity. This study highlights that health professionals need continued support to enable them to effectively address weight-related issues in a sensitive manner that is acceptable to the patient.

Development and Validation of a Questionnaire to Measure Health Professionals’ Attitudes toward Identification of Female Victims of Domestic Violence

Back ground: Domestic violence against women is a major public health problem and violations of women’s human rights. Health professionals could play an important role in screening for the victims. From the evidence to date, it is unclear whether health professionals do play an active role in identification of the victims. Objectives: To develop a reliable and valid instrument to measure health professionals’ attitude to identifying female victims of domestic violence. Methods: A primary questionnaire was constructed in accordance with established guidelines using the Theory of Planned Behaviour Ajzen (1975) to develop an instrument to measure health professionals’ attitudes in identifying female victim of DV. An expert panel was used to establish content validity. Focus groups amongst a group of health professionals (N = 5) of the target population were performed to confirm face validity. A pilot study (N = 30 nurses and doctors) was undertaken to elicit the feasibility and reliability of the questionnaire. The questionnaire was also administered a second time after one week to check the stability of the tests. Results: Feedbacks of the expert panel’s and group discussion confirmed that the questionnaire had the content and face validity. Cronbach’s alpha values for all the items were greater than 0.7. Strong correlations between the direct and indirect measures confirmed that the indirect measures were well constructed. High test-retest correlations confirmed that the measures were reliable in the sense of temporal stability. Significance: This tool has the potential to be used by researchers in expanding the knowledge base in this important area.

Competency Assessment and Factors Associated with It among Health Professionals at Debre Birhan Health Science College

Background: Competency assessment has a key role in the assurance of quality professionals in every discipline. Competency assessment is a method by which we can verify that our employees are competent to perform tasks timely. To derive the greatest benefit from the application of competency assessment in the health professionals, we must be sure that we are addressing areas where our efforts are utilized to optimize the patient care. There is no research done on the competency assessment so far except the report send by Technical Vocational and Educational Training. Objectives: To assess knowledge, attitude and practice of health professionals towards competency assessment and factors were associated with competencies at Debre Birhan Health Science College, 2013. Methods: A facility based cross sectional study was conducted using interview technique. Study participants were all students taking competency assessment in all departments at Debre Berhan Health Science College in two rounds. The percentage of participants who were competent was computed. Factors associated with competency were assessed using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression. Results: Among the total participants (n = 287), (57.8 percent) were female. Among the (n = 287) study participants, 226 (78.7%) were competent. Of these, 88.5% of the candidates were learned at governmental institution. Predictors of competency were department of the respondent AOR [95%];0.05 [0.01, 0.45], expectation of the results [AOR (95% CI) = 0.13 (0.02, 0.85)], number of competency taken [AOR (95% CI) = 0.11 (0.01, 0.88)] and candidates’ knowledge of their right and obligations AOR [95%];3.7 [1.3, 10.3]. Conclusions: Significant numbers of candidates were not yet competent due to various factors at different level. Therefore, comprehensive work should be done on the instructors, students and the center to make the candidates competent.

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes and Support of Health Professionals towards Biobanks in Eastern Morocco

Background: Health professionals play a key role in increasing the rate of biobanking participation. Here, we assessed the knowledge and attitude of health professionals in Eastern Morocco towards biobanks and their willingness to recruit patients into biobanks. Methods: A cross-sectional study carried out among health professionals working in various public and private health centers in Eastern Morocco. The data were obtained using a self-administered anonymous questionnaire. Results: 600 health professionals were included in the study. Only 37.5% of them had knowledge of biobanks. Associations analysis showed that among health professionals, physicians had more knowledge of biobanks (OR = 2.50, p = 0.000), and health professionals working at the University Hospital had more knowledge of biobanks compared to those working in the other participating health centers (p Conclusions: This study indicates that health professionals in Eastern Morocco showed a notable lack of knowledge about biobanks. However, the majority were willing to donate their own biospecimens and supported the recruitment of patients into biobanks. This study was a good opportunity to raise awareness among health professionals about the interest of biobanks in the development of biomedical research in Eastern Morocco.

Occupational Burnout in Hospitals. A Population-Based Study among Health Professionals Working in Hellenic Red Cross Hospital

Occupational burnout, even though is a widespread subject of research, remains one of the factors that threaten the implementation and organizational structure of the provided health service. The aim of our study is to investigate the level of burnout among health professionals in Hellenic Red Cross Hospital, one of the biggest Public Hospitals in Athens, Greece. The study population included 116 health workers and was conducted in 2022. The present study, cross-sectional in nature, investigates burnout symptoms in the health-related professionals by measuring the three dimensions of burnout;emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal achievements. The overall findings show that people who provide health care services in hospitals are a vulnerable group to burnout syndrome. More specifically, it was found that emotional exhaustion moves at medium to high levels, as did depersonalization, while personal achievements are at moderate to low levels. The findings of the present study indicate that emphasis should be given to increasing the personal achievements of employees, which will in turn reduce emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Perhaps a more detailed study on this topic could enlighten us about the causes and treatment of burnout syndrome in health professionals.

Community Needs Assessment for a Professional University Health Counselling Course in Cambodia

Developing health and counselling professionals remains an important part of supporting mental health services in Cambodia.This paper aims to identify how the key stakeholders and mental health experts in Cambodia consider how a university level health counselling course could contribute to addressing the needs/treatment gap for mental health services in Cambodia.In order to do this,the study consists of semi-structured interviews with stakeholders,community needs assessment,and community resource mapping.The data were drawn from 15 NGOs,various profit and not-for-profit organizations as well as two key government stakeholders.The participants were invited to take part in a stakeholders/expert semi-structured interview that lasted between 30-60 minutes at the participants’organizations.The findings revealed that all participants believe that a university level health counseling course was crucial in Cambodia to address pressing mental health issues in the country.Most participants believed that a graduate or post-graduate level program such as a B.A.or M.A.was necessary to train qualified counsellors.The program should be internationally benchmarked,with a Cambodian context.Topics should include psychopathology,professional ethics and competencies,counselling theories and interventions,trauma treatment,as well as emotional intelligence and addiction.Other topics might need to include parenting,support system for suicidal patients,self-care,staff wellbeing programs,and school counselor programs.

Profile of Factors of Arduous Work among Healthcare Professionals in Healthcare Facilities in Northern Benin in 2021

Introduction: Work environments create the basis for arduous nursing work. This is what led us to research the factors of arduousness in the exercise of the health profession in North Benin, through this study. Methods: This is a cross-sectional and descriptive study which focused on health professionals in the health zones of Parakou-N’dali and Tchaourou. The sampling was an exhaustive census. All health workers who had given their free and informed consent were included. The data was collected using a questionnaire. The variables studied were the factors of arduous work and socio-professional characteristics. The data collected was processed and analyzed with the Epi info 7.2.0.1 software. Results: A total of 692 were surveyed, the participation rate was 85.11% and the sex ratio (M/F) equal to 0.7. The average age was 38 years old. Nurses made up 32.66% of the sample. They were 86.42% subject to night work and 82.66% to alternating work. Overall, 70.23% worked more than 40 hours per week. Between 78.12% and 96.46% of non-specialist doctors, nurses, midwives and biomedical analysis technicians were required to work night shifts. Nurses, midwives, radiology and laboratory technicians were between 89.53% and 97.35%, organized in alternating work. In the sample, 55.20% complained about the insufficient number of work materials, 26.29% handled harmful chemical substances. Among those surveyed, 58.14% had been attacked. Conclusion: All professional categories of caregivers are subject to arduous work. Measures are needed to reverse the situation.

Knowledge levels and attitudes of health care professionals toward patients with hepatitis C infection

AIM:To study knowledge levels and attitudes of health care providers toward patients with hepatitis C virus infection in Guilan,a northern province of Iran.METHODS:This cross-sectional study was performed on 239 health care professionals from the Razi Hospital,including doctors,nurses,and operating room technicians.The questionnaires consisted of questions on demographic characteristics,knowledge levels,and attitudes toward hepatitis C patients.The questionnaire was tested in a pilot study and validated by Cronbach' s alpha coefficient.Data were analyzed using SPSS16 software.RESULTS:The mean ± SD knowledge score was 17.43 ± 2.65(from a total of 22).51.9% of the participants achieved scores higher than the mean.There was a significant relationship between knowledge score and age(P = 0.001),gender(P = 0.0001),occupational history(P = 0.0001),and educational history(P = 0.027).There was also a significant relationship between attitude level and age(P = 0.002),gender(P = 0.0001),occupational history(P = 0.0001),and educational history(P = 0.035).Physicians were significantly more knowledgeable and showed more positive attitudes.There was a positive correlation between knowledge and attitude scores(P = 0.02).CONCLUSION:Discriminatory attitudes are common among health care providers toward hepatitis C patients.It is therefore necessary to improve their knowledge level and attitude toward this disease.