Current knowledge and practice of Australian and New Zealand health-care professionals in sarcopenia diagnosis and treatment: Time to move forward!

Suey S Y Yeung, Esmee M Reijnierse, Marijke C Trappenburg, Carel G M Meskers, Andrea B Maier

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

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.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)e185-e193
JournalAUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL ON AGEING
Volume39
Issue number2
Early online date15 Oct 2019
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2020

Bibliographical note

© 2019 The Authors. Australasian Journal on Ageing published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of AJA Inc.

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