Professional knowledge and skills among public health workers in township hospitals in central and western China

Objective To examine current situation of professional knowledge and skills among public health workers in township hospitals in central and western China and to provide references for conducting occupational education.Methods With multistage random cluster sampling,273 public health workers in township hospitals in Chongqing municipality and Guizhou,Hubei and Henan province were enrolled and surveyed with a self-designed questionnaire for assessment of public health knowledge and skill.Results For all the participants,the average overall score for basic knowledge and skills was 7.20±1.38 for a scale of 10 as the maximum; the average degree of key knowledge and skill proficiency was 0.65±0.13.Among the participants,the proportions of answering questions on public health service correctly were high for the items of identifying the constitution of traditional Chinese medicine (100%),principles of on site first aid (100%),measures of omphalitis prevention (98.59%),and management of an epidemic site (97.56%); while the proportions were low for the items of cognitive function screening (7.29%),health guidance for neonates (12.68%),detection of dorsalis pedis artery pulse (13.48%),and motor function checkup (17.05%).Conclusion The professional knowledge and skills are generally poor among the public health workers in township hospitals in central and western China,suggesting that professional training programs for the medical workers should be promoted.