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Current knowledge and practice of Australian and New Zealand health‐care professionals in sarcopenia diagnosis and treatment: Time to move forward!
Author(s) -
Yeung Suey S. Y.,
Reijnierse Esmee M.,
Trappenburg Marijke C.,
Meskers Carel G. M.,
Maier Andrea B.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
australasian journal on ageing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-6612
pISSN - 1440-6381
DOI - 10.1111/ajag.12730
Subject(s) - sarcopenia , medicine , health professionals , health care , disease , aged care , longitudinal study , gerontology , nursing , family medicine , pathology , economics , economic growth
Objectives To describe the current knowledge and practice of sarcopenia diagnosis and treatment among health‐care professionals before, directly after and 6 months after a professional development event on sarcopenia. Methods This longitudinal study included Australian and New Zealand health‐care professionals who completed questionnaires on knowledge, practice and barriers regarding sarcopenia before, directly after and 6 months after attending a professional development event on sarcopenia. Results A total of 250 professionals participated; 84 completed the 6‐month questionnaires. Before, directly after and at 6 months, respectively, 14.7%, 93.4% and 59.5% identified sarcopenia as a disease; 2.0%, 79.6% and 38.1% correctly answered the sex‐specific cut‐offs for low handgrip strength. Respectively, 12.0% and 14.3% reported to make sarcopenia diagnoses as part of their practice before and at 6 months. Conclusions Knowledge about sarcopenia is limited among health‐care professionals who attended a professional development event. Retention of knowledge remains a challenge to be addressed.