Kazmi Farhat, Alkait Shahad, Alghamdi Hend, Alhussain Ghaida, Tabassum Afsheen
Department of Oral Diagnosis, College of Dentistry, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, KSA.
Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, KSA.
Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2020 Feb 1;21(2):539-545. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2020.21.2.539.
Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) is a growing public health problem affecting 2.2 million of the world's population per year and the rates are increasing annually. The disease is usually diagnosed in later stages, and carries high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Proper awareness among health care professionals (HCP) is the most significant factor for ensuring early diagnosis and treatment. They should have thorough knowledge to identify all suspicious lesions or otherwise to seek specialist opinion when unsure. The present study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAPs) of OSCC among dental and medical undergraduate students along with general practitioners and specialists of both disciplines.
The present cross-sectional study was conducted at Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University and its affiliated hospital. A total of 332 participants filled a close-ended online questionnaire. Responses to the questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics.
Of the 450 health care professionals approached, 332 filled the questionnaire with a response rate of 73.77.%. It was observed that the mean knowledge index was higher among dental participants (10.96 ± 1.85). The attitude index was higher at medical side (6.89 ± 1.11), and the practice index was also higher among the dental participants (4.95 ± 0.91). Most of the health care professionals had knowledge regarding risk factors associated with OSCC. HCPs indicated their lack of training as the main barrier for conducting a comprehensive examination for OSCC. Interestingly, the vast majority of HCPs expressed their interest to have further educational and training sessions regarding this malignancy.
The study puts forward, the need for intensive training and workshops for awareness and improvement of the abilities of the HCPs, (including dental and medical undergraduate students along with practitioners and specialists) to diagnose OSCC.
口腔鳞状细胞癌（OSCC）是一个日益严重的公共卫生问题，每年影响全球220万人口，且发病率逐年上升。该疾病通常在晚期才被诊断出来，在全球范围内具有较高的发病率和死亡率。医护人员（HCP）的正确认知是确保早期诊断和治疗的最重要因素。他们应具备全面的知识，以便识别所有可疑病变，否则在不确定时应寻求专家意见。本研究旨在评估牙科和医学本科学生以及这两个学科的全科医生和专科医生对OSCC的知识、态度和实践（KAPs）。
本横断面研究在努拉公主阿卜杜勒拉赫曼大学及其附属医院进行。共有332名参与者填写了一份封闭式在线问卷。使用描述性和分析性统计方法对问卷回复进行分析。
在接触的450名医护人员中，332人填写了问卷，回复率为73.77%。观察到牙科参与者的平均知识指数较高（10.96±1.85）。医学方面的态度指数较高（6.89±1.11），牙科参与者的实践指数也较高（4.95±0.91）。大多数医护人员了解与OSCC相关的危险因素。医护人员表示缺乏培训是对OSCC进行全面检查的主要障碍。有趣的是，绝大多数医护人员表示有兴趣参加关于这种恶性肿瘤的进一步教育和培训课程。
该研究提出，需要为医护人员（包括牙科和医学本科学生以及从业者和专科医生）开展强化培训和研讨会，以提高他们对OSCC的认知和诊断能力。
