Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36264964›Full record

ArticlePloS one2022

Knowledge and awareness of mitochondrial diseases among physicians in the tertiary hospitals in Ghana.

Eric A Mensah, Bismark Sarfo, Alfred E Yawson, Joshua Arthur, Augustine Ocloo

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 47% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Eric A MensahDepartment of Biochemistry, Cell & Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
Bismark SarfoDepartment of Epidemiology and Disease Control, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
Alfred E YawsonDepartment of Community Health, University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana Korle Bu, Accra, Ghana.
Joshua ArthurPublic Health Unit, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana.ORCID 0000-0003-0315-784X
Augustine OclooDepartment of Biochemistry, Cell & Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.ORCID 0000-0003-1249-5349
University of Ghana · GHKomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital · GH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMitochondrial diseases/disorders (MDs), for decades, have been identified as a key underlying condition for many chronic diseases globally. However, data on the knowledge and prevalence of MDs in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa are lacking. This study assessed the knowledge, and awareness, of MDs among senior medical doctors in the five tertiary hospitals in Ghana.

methodData were collected from one hundred and twenty-eight (128) medical doctors in the five Tertiary Hospitals in Ghana using both closed and open-ended questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics.

resultsOf the 128 respondents, 70.32% were senior medical officers and above, 87% of them indicated that they were aware of MDs and over 90% said physicians do not often diagnose MDs in Ghana. About 81% indicated that MDs are associated with chronic illnesses whilst 72% said the disease is diagnosed in both males and females. About 45% of the respondents alluded to the fact that MDs are difficult to diagnose, are associated with mutations in both the mitochondrial and the nuclear DNA, and are non-infectious diseases. Approximately 85% said nervous system dysfunction and muscle weakness are some of the symptoms associated with MDs whilst 77% said fatigue is also one of the symptoms. About 38% of the respondents specified that they encounter myopathies. A majority (70%) did not know about the availability of any consensus or standard diagnostic procedure and/or drugs for MDs.

conclusionThere is a high level of knowledge and awareness of MDs among the respondents. However, there is a low disease encounter, which could be due to a lack of diagnostic protocols or a low disease prevalence. It is, therefore recommend that a patient perspective study, which looks at clinical records and laboratory data be conducted to fully ascertain the prevalence of MDs in Ghana and that appropriate educational strategies and interventions aimed at improving the diagnosis of mitochondrial diseases in Ghana be put in place.

Indexed as

Mitochondrial DiseasesPhysiciansFemaleGhanaHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHumansMaleSurveys and QuestionnairesTertiary Care Centers

Identifiers

PMID36264964
PMCPMC9584519
OpenAlexW4306897014

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.