Healthcare Professionals’ Knowledge and Gaps in Understanding Mpox and its Management
Macato, John Carlo; Peñaflorida, Jungee; Valenzuela, Leandra Lee (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025051411649
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025051411649
Tiivistelmä
As a re-emerging zoonotic disease, mpox poses substantial public health challenges due to its transmission potential and the severity of clinical symptoms. Addressing these challenges effectively requires that healthcare professionals possess accurate knowledge of mpox’s clinical features, transmission routes, and treatment options.
This study sought to provide an overview of healthcare professionals’ existing knowledge of mpox, with the objective of identifying knowledge deficiencies that may impede effective outbreak preparedness. Focused on primary research obtained from the CINAHL and Medline databases, 16 articles were selected for the descriptive literature review after evaluating full-texts and ensuring data quality.
As for methods, studies published between 2020 and 2024 were examined through a descriptive literature review, analyzing healthcare providers' knowledge, perspectives, and practices related to mpox.
The study reveals that, while general awareness of mpox is present, critical deficiencies persist, particularly in the comprehension of its symptoms, transmission path-ways, and treatment protocols. Notable misconceptions around respiratory droplet transmission and the role of antibiotics further highlight these knowledge gaps. Additionally, attitudes toward vaccination display notable hesitancy, with relatively few healthcare professionals indicating readiness to receive an mpox vaccine.
The results of this review suggest a significant need for specialized education and awareness initiatives to improve healthcare professionals' preparedness for managing future infectious disease scenarios. This study calls attention to proactive training as a cornerstone for bolstering public health responses.
This study sought to provide an overview of healthcare professionals’ existing knowledge of mpox, with the objective of identifying knowledge deficiencies that may impede effective outbreak preparedness. Focused on primary research obtained from the CINAHL and Medline databases, 16 articles were selected for the descriptive literature review after evaluating full-texts and ensuring data quality.
As for methods, studies published between 2020 and 2024 were examined through a descriptive literature review, analyzing healthcare providers' knowledge, perspectives, and practices related to mpox.
The study reveals that, while general awareness of mpox is present, critical deficiencies persist, particularly in the comprehension of its symptoms, transmission path-ways, and treatment protocols. Notable misconceptions around respiratory droplet transmission and the role of antibiotics further highlight these knowledge gaps. Additionally, attitudes toward vaccination display notable hesitancy, with relatively few healthcare professionals indicating readiness to receive an mpox vaccine.
The results of this review suggest a significant need for specialized education and awareness initiatives to improve healthcare professionals' preparedness for managing future infectious disease scenarios. This study calls attention to proactive training as a cornerstone for bolstering public health responses.