Knowledge and attitude of health care providers towards stroke management at Gahini district hospital and Rwamagana second level teaching hospital

Abstract

Background: Stroke understanding has advanced significantly since the 17th century, with major 20th-century breakthroughs in diagnosis and treatment. Despite progress in prevention and care in developed nations, stroke remains a global health challenge, especially in low- and middle-income countries, emphasizing the need for continued research and improved care accessibility. Aim: This study was to find out the current situation of knowledge and attitude of health care providers towards stroke management at Gahini District hospital and Rwamagana second level Teaching hospital. Methodology: This study utilized a quantitative, cross-sectional approach to evaluate healthcare providers' knowledge and attitudes regarding stroke management at two Rwandan hospitals. Using a modified questionnaire adopted from two previous studies done in Indonesia and in Rwanda, data was collected and analyzed using SPSS version 22. The analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson's Chi-square test, percentages, frequencies, degree of freedom, correlation and confidence interval to explore relationships between variables, with statistical significance set at p≤0.05. The results: This study of 225 healthcare providers at selected hospitals revealed significant knowledge gaps in stroke management, despite positive attitudes. The sample included 68.0% nurses, 22.7% physicians, and 9.3% midwives, with 51.1% aged 20-30 years. While 60.0% held bachelor's degrees, only 32.9% received in-service stroke training and 11.6% were certified in stroke care. Basic knowledge was high ,86.7% identified the brain as the affected organ, but critical deficits existed in areas like proper patient positioning ,46.2% being aware and familiarity with the FAST acronym,36.0% were very familiar. Attitudes were generally positive, with 62.7% recognizing stroke's severity and 69.3% agreeing on the need for immediate treatment. Conclusion: A study found that young, female nurses with bachelor's degrees revealed high awareness of stroke severity and prevention (82%), but low formal stroke training (17.6%). While basic knowledge was adequate, specific clinical practice gaps existed. Physicians showed better stroke management knowledge than nurses and midwives, indicating a need for enhanced training programs to improve competencies across all healthcare roles, particularly for nursing and midwifery staffs.