Educational intervention to enhance the knowledge of Ghanaian health workers on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias

Abstract

Background: Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRDs) pose a major public health challenge in older adults. In sub-Saharan Africa, the burden of ADRD is projected to escalate amidst ill-equipped healthcare workers (HCWs).

Aim: This study aimed to assess ADRD knowledge amongst Ghanaian HCWs and improve gaps identified through a workshop.

Setting: Study was conducted among HCWs attending a workshop in Kumasi, Ghana.

Methods: On 18 August 2021, a workshop on ADRD was organised in Kumasi, Ghana, which was attended by 49 HCWs comprising doctors, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and nutritionists. On arrival, they answered 30 pre-test questions using the Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS). A post-test using the same questionnaire was conducted after participants had been exposed to a 4-h in-person educational content on ADRD delivered by facilitators from family medicine, neurology, geriatrics, psychiatry and public health.

Results: The mean age of participants was 34.6 (± 6.82), mean years of practice was 7.7 (± 5.6) and 38.8% (n = 19) were nurses. The mean score of participants’ overall knowledge was 19.8 (± 4.3) at pre-test and 23.2 (± 4.0) at post-test. Participants’ pre-test and post-test scores improved in all ADKS domains. Factors associated with participants’ knowledge at baseline were profession, professional rank and the highest level of education attained. After adjusting for age and sex, participant’s rank, being a specialist (adjusted β = 14.44; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 7.03, 21.85; p < 0.001) was an independent predictor of knowledge on Alzheimer’s disease.

Conclusion: Existing knowledge gaps in ADRD could be improved via continuous medical education interventions of HCWs to prepare healthcare systems in Africa for the predicted ADRD epidemic.