title: Critical care physicians: attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge about pressure ulcers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to determine critical care physicians' attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge toward pressure ulcer (PrU) prevention and treatment in critical care patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive, correlational
  
  
  METHODS
  56 critical care physicians
  
  
  METHODS
  Survey instrument developed to collect demographic information and information regarding attitudes and beliefs about PrUs and PrU knowledge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of physicians (69%) reported poor to adequate basic medical education training on PrU prevention and treatment. Sixty percent reported never attending a PrU lecture. Most physicians reported their role to be important to very important in the areas of PrU prevention (71.4%) and treatment (67.9%). Physicians' perceived knowledge regarding PrU prevention and treatment was most frequently reported as adequate (48%) and poor (37%). The mean score on the knowledge test was 18.1 (range, 12-24; SD, 2.26), equating to a percentage score of 75%. No significant relationship was found between physicians' perceived PrU knowledge and actual knowledge score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence rates of acquired PrUs in critical care adult patients are cited as the highest among hospitalized patients; thus, critical care physicians encounter patients at risk for or with PrUs regularly in clinical practice. Management of a critically ill patient requires a cohesive, multidisciplinary approach, including prevention and/or management of PrUs. The critical care physician, as a vital member of this team, may benefit from PrU education in an effort to heighten awareness of this phenomenon in critical care patients.
authors.affiliation: Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, Englewood, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roche
authors.forename: Nisha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gandhi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008511:Medicine; D008875:Middle Aged; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires