title: Preparedness for anthrax attack: the effect of knowledge on the willingness to treat patients.
abstract: Little is known about the factors that may impact on the willingness of physicians and nurses to treat patients during a bioterrorism attack. This survey was conducted among 76 randomly selected nurses and physicians in the emergency rooms of three public hospitals in order to analyse the relationship between knowledge, profession and the willingness to treat anthrax. The study finds that the willingness of physicians and nurses to come to work is 50% greater among the group with the highest knowledge about anthrax (P < 0.0001). Within that group, the willingness to treat patients suspected of being infected with anthrax was 37% greater (P < 0.0001) and the willingness to treat patients diagnosed with anthrax was 28% greater (P = 0.004) than in the other groups. These results imply that enhancement of knowledge among health care workers may improve their willingness to come to work and treat patients infected with anthrax during a bioterrorism attack.
authors.affiliation: NBC Hospital, Israeli Defense Forces Home Front Command Medical Department, Israel.
authors.forename: Ariel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rokach
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shapira
authors.forename: Shmuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Einav
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mandibura
authors.forename: Yaron
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bar-Dayan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000881:Anthrax; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D023482:Bioterrorism; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009726:Nurses; D010820:Physicians; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult