Diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis at basic health care facilities in rural Vietnam: a survey of knowledge and reported practices among health staff

One fundamental element needed for tuberculosis control programmes to succeed is that health staff should adequately manage persons with both suspected and confirmed tuberculosis. This study assesses the level of knowledge and reported practices regarding tuberculosis among health staff at basic health care facilities in a rural district in Vietnam. A questionnaire consisting of 17 multiple-choice questions, 6 open questions, and five case-studies was completed by 253 health staff. Nearly half of the respondents (47%) answered at least 17 out of 23 questions correctly. The mean knowledge score was 15.59 +/- 3.78 (range 5-23). The mean practice score was 2.03 +/- 1.28 (range 0-5). Health staff knowledge of theoretical aspects was better than knowledge related to patient management. Even staff members who had attended TB training courses had inadequate TB knowledge, particularly in the area of TB control. District hospital staff reported surprisingly lower knowledge scores than community health care staff. Practice competency related to the management of tuberculosis patients during treatment course was low. The importance of targeted education using multiple educational methods needs to be emphasized within the National Tuberculosis Programme.