# Health Professionals' Knowledge and Perceived Clinical Skill Toward Emergency Preparedness and Its Associated Factors in North Showa, Ethiopia, 2024

## TL;DR

This study assesses health professionals' knowledge and skills in emergency preparedness in Ethiopia, finding that less than 60% have adequate knowledge and identifying factors like age and profession that influence it.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific health professions and demographic factors associated with emergency preparedness knowledge in a specific Ethiopian region.

## Key findings

- Only 57.6% of health professionals in North Showa, Ethiopia had adequate knowledge of emergency preparedness.
- Midwifery, laboratory, pharmacy, and disaster volunteering were significantly associated with adequate knowledge.
- Professionals aged over 30 and with 1–5 years of experience were more likely to have adequate knowledge.

## Abstract

Emergency and public health problems are unavoidable and can strike at any time. In a globalized world where crises are getting more common, more devastating, and have a substantial influence on society's health and life, the quality of healthcare services is becoming increasingly important. Such an emergency causes a double burden of impact, especially for African states, due to their low economies and burden of ill health.

To assess health professionals' knowledge and perceived clinical skill toward emergency preparedness and its associated factors in North Showa, Ethiopia, 2024.

An institution‐based cross‐sectional study design was employed from December 1 to January 30, 2024. Data was collected using a pre‐tested and structured questionnaire from 424 study participants. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25 software. On bivariable logistic regression analysis, variables with p‐value < 0.25 were transferred to multivariable logistic regression analysis and variables with p‐value < 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. The result was summarized using tables, graphs, and charts for different variables.

A total of 424 participants were enrolled in the study, with a response rate of 413 (97.4%). Among 413 study participants, only 57.6% participants had adequate knowledge of emergency preparedness. Midwifery (AOR = 0.097; 95% CI 0.033–0.284), laboratory (AOR = 0.244; 95% CL 0.073–0.812), pharmacy (AOR = 0.078; 95% CI 0.021–0.288), disaster volunteer (AOR = 0.542; 95% CI 0.318–0.924), having 1–5 years of experience (AOR = 2.541; 95% CL 1.479–4.365), and > 30 years of age (AOR = 3.694; 95% CI 2.026–6.733) were significantly associated with adequate knowledge toward emergency preparedness.

About 57.6% of health professionals working in North Showa, Oromia, Ethiopia had adequate knowledge of emergency preparedness. Midwifery, laboratory, pharmacy, disaster volunteering, 1–5 years of experience and > 30 years of age were significantly associated factors. Therefore, training regarding emergency preparedness should be given to all health professionals, including midwifery, medical laboratory and pharmacy, to increase their knowledge level. The local health department also recommended working on creating many disaster volunteer health professionals to solve the problem.