Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare professionals toward rehabilitation of peripheral nerve injury

Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) occurs due to damage of peripheral nerves, with healthcare professionals playing significant roles in PNI rehabilitation. This study aimed to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards PNI rehabilitation among healthcare professionals. This cross-sectional study was conducted on June 2023 in China and healthcare professionals were enrolled. A total of 611 valid questionnaires were collected, with 62.52% female respondents. Mean scores for KAP were 14.26 ± 2.044 (possible range: 0-19), 29.77 ± 3.622 (possible range: 7-35), and 41.55 ± 9.523 (possible range: 11-55), respectively. Multivariate logistic regression revealed positive associations of professional titles (OR = 1.743, 95% CI: 1.083-2.804), occupation (OR = 1.833, 95% CI: 1.151-2.919), and involvement in treatment or care of PNI patients (OR = 1.462, 95% CI: 1.024-2.088) with knowledge. Knowledge (OR = 1.155, 95% CI: 1.042-1.280), gender (OR = 2.140, 95% CI: 1.255-3.646), education (OR = 2.258, 95% CI: 1.131-4.507), and involvement in treatment or care of PNI patients (OR = 2.463, 95% CI: 1.460-4.155) were positively associated with attitude. Attitude (OR = 1.214, 95% CI: 1.148-1.283), bachelor's degree education (OR = 0.548, 95% CI: 0.326-0.919), master's degree or higher (OR = 0.545, 95% CI: 0.308-0.964), having rehabilitation training for PNI (OR = 2.485, 95% CI: 1.633-3.781), and involvement in treatment or care of PNI patients (OR = 2.093, 95% CI: 1.395-3.138) were independently associated with practice. Healthcare professionals exhibited moderate knowledge, positive attitudes, and moderate practices towards the PNI rehabilitation. Those involved in the treatment or care of PNI have significantly higher KAP. Targeted interventions were needed to enhance understanding and promote proactive engagement in clinical practice.