Department of Sociology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), HHB 460H, 1720 2nd Ave South, Birmingham, AL 35294-1152, USA.
Division of Child Neurology and Epilepsy, Boston Children's Health Physicians of Westchester and Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, Valhalla, NY, 141 South Central Ave, Hartsdale, NY 10530, USA.
Epilepsy Behav. 2020 Aug;109:107102. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2020.107102. Epub 2020 May 19.
Use of cannabinoid therapies is on the rise in the United States, but responses of healthcare professionals and their knowledge of these therapies have been mixed. More information is needed about factors associated with healthcare professionals' attitudes and knowledge about medical cannabis. We conducted an online survey of US-based neurologists, nurse practitioners (NPs)/nurses, and pharmacists in August-September of 2018 (n = 451). We constructed perceived knowledge and attitudes scales and a knowledge index from multiple items and assessed state cannabis laws, participant's sociodemographics, workplace type and policies, and patient population. We used ordinary least-squares regression to examine associations among study variables. Over 80% of participants supported use and legalization of medical cannabis, especially cannabidiol (CBD) for epilepsy and when prescribed by a medical provider, but 40-50% (depending on item) felt unfamiliar with cannabinoid pharmacology and clinical applications. A total of 43% favored legal recreational cannabis. Pharmacists scored higher on the knowledge test than neurologists and NPs/nurses, but NPs/nurses had more favorable attitudes than neurologists and higher perceived knowledge than pharmacists. Both knowledge indicators predicted attitudes. State cannabis access and favorable workplace policies were associated with higher knowledge and more favorable attitudes. Healthcare professionals see potential in cannabis therapies but report significant knowledge gaps. Professional cannabinoid education is needed to address growing patient and provider demand for knowledge about cannabinoid therapies.
在美国，大麻素疗法的应用呈上升趋势，但医疗保健专业人员对此的反应和他们对这些疗法的了解参差不齐。需要更多关于与医疗保健专业人员对医用大麻的态度和知识相关的因素的信息。我们于 2018 年 8 月至 9 月对美国的神经病学家、护士从业者（NP）/护士和药剂师进行了在线调查（n=451）。我们从多个项目中构建了感知知识和态度量表以及知识指数，并评估了州大麻法律、参与者的社会人口统计学、工作场所类型和政策以及患者群体。我们使用普通最小二乘法回归来研究研究变量之间的关联。超过 80%的参与者支持医用大麻的使用和合法化，特别是大麻二酚（CBD）治疗癫痫和在医疗提供者开处方的情况下，但 40-50%（取决于项目）对大麻素药理学和临床应用感到陌生。共有 43%的人赞成合法的娱乐用大麻。药剂师在知识测试中的得分高于神经病学家和 NP/护士，但 NP/护士的态度比神经病学家更有利，感知知识比药剂师更高。这两个知识指标都预测了态度。州大麻准入和有利的工作场所政策与更高的知识和更有利的态度有关。医疗保健专业人员看到了大麻素疗法的潜力，但报告称存在重大知识差距。需要进行专业的大麻素教育，以满足患者和提供者对大麻素疗法知识不断增长的需求。
