Awareness and knowledge of rheumatology subspecialty among clinical students in a Nigerian medical school

Emorinken, Airenakho; Ugheoke, Asuwemhe Johnson; Agbebaku, Folasade Ojuolape; Ijiewere, Mercy; Akpasubi, Blessyn; Okonkwo, Alexander

doi:10.5455/ijmrcr.awareness-knowledge-rheumatology-172-1611180597

Cited by 2 publications

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“…32 The situation may be more precarious in our setting, as less than half of medical schools have qualified physicians to teach pain and musculoskeletal medicine, let alone have a curriculum dedicated to musculoskeletal medicine. 33 This may lead to students starting residency training with little knowledge of musculoskeletal medicine. Nonrheumatologists, particularly family physicians, are given less time (zero to six weeks) in musculoskeletal rotations and internal medicine clinics during PG training.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of physicians’ knowledge and awareness of fibromyalgia: a cross-sectional study

Emorinken

Dic-Ijiewere

Agbadaola³

et al. 2022

Int J Adv Med

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Background: Fibromyalgia is not an uncommon cause of chronic musculoskeletal pain, and despite its rising prevalence, it remains a diagnostic challenge for physicians. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and awareness of fibromyalgia among Nigerian physicians.Methods: This was a cross-sectional, self-reported online survey. A total of 502 physicians participated in the study. The data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised of sociodemographic data and questions related to fibromyalgia. A scoring system was developed to stratify knowledge of fibromyalgia into very low, low, average, high, and very high. The level of significance was set at p<0.05.Results: Responses were obtained from 502 physicians with a mean age of 36±7.02 years. Most of the respondents (41.3%) had low fibromyalgia knowledge levels. Only 15.2% of the respondents obtained their knowledge of fibromyalgia during their undergraduate training, and 33.5% were familiar with at least one diagnostic criteria. Physical exercise (79.2%), opioids (65.6%), and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (63.8%) were the most selected treatment options. The years in clinical practice, type of health facility, respondents’ cadre, and specialty were significantly associated with fibromyalgia knowledge levels (p<0.001). The number of years in clinical practice was found to be a predictor of fibromyalgia knowledge (p=0.001).Conclusions: This study found low levels of fibromyalgia knowledge among Nigerian physicians. The survey emphasizes the importance of improving Nigerian physicians' training modules for the diagnosis and treatment of fibromyalgia.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of physicians’ knowledge and awareness of fibromyalgia: a cross-sectional study

Emorinken

Dic-Ijiewere

Agbadaola³

et al. 2022

Int J Adv Med

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“…The questions were developed based on rheumatology textbooks, pre-existing publications and expertise of physicians experienced in the management of RMDs. 6 , 9 , 11 – 13 The questionnaire consisted of 2 parts: sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge on common RMDs, clinical features, and their management. The questions covered the common rheumatological diseases which were considered as part of the basic awareness in the field of rheumatology.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Knowledge on RMDs among medical students in Africa has not been widely reported, with only a few studies conducted highlighting the inadequate knowledge among medical students in Africa. 10 , 11 We sought to assess the awareness of rheumatology and knowledge on common RMDs and their treatment among undergraduate clinical year medical students in Uganda.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rheumatology Training for Undergraduate Medical Students in Uganda: A Need Assessment Survey

Kibone,

Nansubuga,

Okot

et al. 2024

Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development

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Objectives Despite the rise in the common rheumatological and musculoskeletal disorders (RMDs) in Africa, rheumatology remains an under recognized field with limited training and exposure of medical students. We assessed the knowledge of undergraduate medical students in Uganda on RMDs occurring in our settings. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among clinical year medical students at 9 universities in Uganda offering undergraduate medical degrees in March and April 2022. A self-administered, semistructured questionnaire was used to collect data on sociodemographic characteristics and basic knowledge on RMDs online using KoboToolbox. Sufficient knowledge was defined as a score of ≥50% (pass mark for undergraduate students in Uganda). Multivariable logistic regression was performed using STATA 16 to determine factors associated with knowledge acquisition on RMDs. Results We enrolled 359 medical students from 9 medical training institutes across Uganda. Overall, 126 (35.1%) participants had sufficient knowledge and the overall mean score for all participants was 41.2%. Factors independently associated with sufficient knowledge were: being in fourth (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.6, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.49-4.64, P < .001) and fifth year (aOR: 2.2, 95% CI: 1.18-4.18, P = .013) compared to third year of study, awareness of the speciality of rheumatology (aOR: 4.0, 95% CI: 1.96-8.06, P < .001), formal classes on rheumatology (aOR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.15-3.35, P = .012), prior bedside teaching on RMDs (aOR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.49-3.69, P < .001), awareness of common RMDs (aOR: 3.2, 95% CI: 1.67-6.04, P < .001), and having seen a patient with an RMD (aOR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.14-2.77, P < .01). Conclusion There was a significant knowledge gap among undergraduate medical students nationwide on rheumatology. There is an urgent need to increase exposure to RMDs for undergraduate medical students to address the rising burden of RMDs in Uganda.

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Awareness and knowledge of rheumatology subspecialty among clinical students in a Nigerian medical school

Cited by 2 publications

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Assessment of physicians’ knowledge and awareness of fibromyalgia: a cross-sectional study

Assessment of physicians’ knowledge and awareness of fibromyalgia: a cross-sectional study

Rheumatology Training for Undergraduate Medical Students in Uganda: A Need Assessment Survey

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