title: Changes in healthcare workers' knowledge about tuberculosis following a tuberculosis training programme.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In resource-limited countries, health policy makers and practitioners need to know whether healthcare workers have sufficient knowledge of tuberculosis and its management.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We conducted a study to: (1) measure knowledge changes among healthcare workers who participated in a tuberculosis training programme; and (2) make recommendations about future tuberculosis training for healthcare workers in the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study conducted in 2007 measured changes in tuberculosis knowledge of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers after a training programme based on World Health Organization tuberculosis training modules. Data were collected before and after training using a self-administered, 98-item questionnaire covering eight components.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 267 healthcare workers, mean age 40.7 years, answered both pre- and post-training questionnaires. Mean total knowledge scores were low despite significant changes (p<0.001) from a pre-training score of 59.5% to a post-training score of 66.5%. Nurses showed significant improvements in mean total knowledge scores (p<0.001) but had the lowest mean total knowledge score post-training, 63.2%. Doctors had significantly better pre-training (p<0.001) and post-training (p<0.001) mean total knowledge scores compared to nurses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improvement in healthcare workers' overall knowledge of tuberculosis during a training programme was not clinically significant. Periodic field training and supervision should be considered to ensure tuberculosis knowledge improvements.
authors.affiliation: naidoos71@ukzn.ac.za
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naidoo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Esterhuizen
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Nordstrom
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Jinabhai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011361:Professional Competence; D013019:South Africa; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014376:Tuberculosis; D055815:Young Adult