Health providers' knowledge on transfusion-transmitted viral hepatitis

OBJECTIVE: Training health providers is a strategy for improving health care quality that need to be technically correct and comply with the conceptual universe of the trainees. A pilot study was carried out to explore the consistency of knowledge on blood transmission of viral hepatitis among primary care providers. METHODS: A non-identified questionnaire was applied to 190 providers attending a public health training program in 2003 and 2004. Answers were compared according to two groups: physicians, nurses and dentists (115 subjects) and other health providers (66 subjects). Frequencies of correct and incorrect answers were compared through Chi-square test (chi(2)). Nine respondents did not inform their occupation. RESULTS: The study population mainly comprised women (80%) aged 20 to 60 years from Northeastern (27.4%), Southeastern (35.3%), and Midwestern (37.3%) regions. Blood transfusion was associated with hepatitis B and C for 57.5% of the respondents; hemophilia was associated with hepatitis B and C for 55.7% of the respondents, while 74% considered to be incorrect the statement: "viral hepatitis cannot be transmitted through blood" and 16.4% considered it correct. The number of correct answers regarding blood transfusion was greater in the group of physicians, nurses and dentists than other providers (chi(2) = 1.2; p=0.2741). CONCLUSIONS: These findings were compared with current data on viral hepatitis transmission and the consistency of the answers concerning different risk factors was evaluated. These providers' knowledge on blood transmission of these conditions shows inconsistencies that may jeopardize the effectiveness of prevention and control programs.