Knowledge and Attitude of Health Care Professionals in Obstetrics and Gynecology Department to Women's Health Physiotherapy Services

Abstract

The attitude of obstetrics and gynecology specialists at Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria, towards engaging the services of women’s health physiotherapists is at best described uncooperative. This has been attributed to the fear of the purported adverse effect of physical exercise in pregnancy. However, current evidence shows that women’s health physiotherapy is an essential component of the multidisciplinary team approach towards a productive antenatal patient management. This study was therefore designed to assess the knowledge, attitude and involvement of women’s health physiotherapists among health care professionals (HCPs) in obstetrics and gynecology clinic at FMC Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria. This study employed a descriptive cross-sectional survey involving 108 participant which constituted of 66 nurses, 36 physicians, 5 pharmacists and 1 medical laboratory scientist. A purposive sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Results shows that 56.5% of HCPs had moderate knowledge of the roles of women’s health physiotherapy, with a positive to neutral (36.4%) attitude towards involvement of women’s health physiotherapists in the management of obstetrics and gynecology conditions and only 38.2% of physicians that participated in this study refer patients for women’s health physiotherapy. This study has been able to show that the awareness and recommendation for women’s health physiotherapy services among obstetrics and gynecology specialists at FMC, Asaba, is contemptible. Effective collaboration and a multidisciplinary team approach should be encouraged to enhance cross-fertilization of ideas for the overall interest of the patients. In addition, the department of physiotherapy should advocate for a hospital management policy that should enforce best practice in clinical management of patients in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at FMC Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria.

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