Abstract
Background: Health care providers as a trusted source of information for most patients should be able to provide counseling services to patients on the new concept of stem cell utilization, benefits and its practice implications. Objective: this study aims to assess the knowledge and attitude of health care providers in Qassim region regarding stem cells. Methods: Self-administered tool was utilized among 250 health care providers were chosen from five major hospitals in Qassim including doctors, nurses, and other health care providers such as pharmacists, dietarians and administrative staff. Results: The most of the participants were female,<30 years in age, had practiced for <10 years and nurses. About 56% of respondents had a moderate knowledge regarding stem cells and only 31.2 % had good knowledge. About three quarters 191 (76.4%) of the participants exhibited positive attitude towards stem cell use. A Pearson??s correlation between knowledge and attitude scores was statistically significant. Conclusion: Data from the present study revealed moderate level of knowledge and positive attitude toward stem cells and its application among health care providers in Qassim. Therefore, this study suggests that educational programs on stem cell should be implemented to improve stem cell knowledge and encourage a more positive attitude.
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