RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Knowledge of and attitudes toward epilepsy surgery among neurologists in Saudi Arabia
JF Neurosciences Journal
JO Neurosciences (Riyadh)
FD Prince Sultan Military Medical City
SP 43
OP 49
DO 10.17712/nsj.2020.1.20190051
VO 25
IS 1
A1 Bandar Aljafen
A1 Majed Alomar
A1 Nawaf Abohamra
A1 Mohammed Alanazy
A1 Fawaz Al-hussain
A1 Ziad Alhumayyd
A1 Yousef Mohammad
A1 Taim Muayqil
YR 2020
UL http://nsj.org.sa/content/25/1/43.abstract
AB Objectives: To investigate the levels of knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy surgery among neurologists in Saudi Arabia and evaluate the factors that affect the physicians’ knowledge and attitudes.Methods: A quantitative observational cross-sectional study conducted at King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh. The data were collected using a newly developed, self-administered online questionnaire. The questionnaire contained 3 sections: demographic information, knowledge, and attitudes which then sent to neurologist in Saudi Arabia from December 2016 to March 2017.Results: A total of 106 neurologists met our inclusion criteria. Eighty percent of the participants had at least one epilepsy center in their city, and 78% indicated that they had access to adequate expertise and resources to enable the appropriate selection of epilepsy surgical candidates. Only 57.5% of the neurologists had a sufficient level of knowledge regarding epilepsy surgery. Neurologists with higher level of knowledge referred more patients to EMU and discussed epilepsy surgery more often with their patients. Overall, more than half of the neurologists (52.8%) had a positive attitude toward epilepsy surgery. There was a significantly positive correlation between the scores of knowledge and attitude (p<0.001).Conclusion: Neurologists in Saudi Arabia appear to have moderate knowledge of and positive attitudes toward epilepsy surgery. The place of the last neurology certificate, type of practicing hospital, and access to expertise and resources, affected their knowledge. Adequate knowledge was positively correlated with attitude.