Table 2. Professional and demographic characteristics of medical doctors participating in a knowledge, attitude and practice survey, Lao People's Democratic Republic, 2012.
| Characteristic of participants | No. (%) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vientiane capital (n = 261) | Khammuane (n = 51) | Luangprabang (n = 57) | Sekong (n = 17) | Total (n = 386) | |
| Hospital | |||||
| Central | 222 (85.0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 222 (57.5) |
| Province | 0 | 24 (47.1) | 22 (38.6) | 9 (52.9) | 55 (14.2) |
| District Aa | 13 (5.0) | 2 (3.9) | 30 (52.6) | 0 | 45 (11.6) |
| District Bb | 26 (10.0) | 25 (49.0) | 5 (8.8) | 8 (47.1) | 64 (16.6) |
| Professional experience | |||||
| 1 year or less | 32 (12.3) | 7 (13.7) | 6 (10.5) | 2 (11.8) | 47 (12.2) |
| 2 years | 34 (13.0) | 7 (13.7) | 5 (8.8) | 2 (11.8) | 48 (12.4) |
| 3 years | 17 (6.5) | 3 (5.9) | 0 (0) | 1 (5.9) | 21 (5.4) |
| 4 years | 17 (6.5) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (5.9) | 18 (4.7) |
| 5 years | 20 (7.7) | 2 (3.9) | 1 (1.8) | 1 (5.9) | 24 (6.2) |
| 6 years | 12 (4.6) | 1 (2.0) | 2 (3.5) | 1 (5.9) | 16 (4.2) |
| ≥ 7 years | 129 (49.4) | 31 (60.8) | 43 (75.4) | 9 (52.9) | 212 (54.9) |
| Department | |||||
| Medicine/Emergency | 135 (51.7) | 37 (72.5) | 42 (73.7) | 12 (70.5) | 226 (58.5) |
| Surgery | 55 (21.1) | 3 (5.9) | 5 (8.8) | 1 (5.9) | 64 (16.6) |
| Paediatric | 35 (13.4) | 6 (11.8) | 2 (3.5) | 2 (11.8) | 45 (11.7) |
| Obstetrics/Gynaecology | 36 (13.8) | 5 (9.8) | 8 (14.0) | 2 (11.8) | 51 (13.2) |
| Professional hierarchy | |||||
| Head of service and deputies | 41 (15.7) | 15 (29.4) | 10 (17.5) | 8 (47.1) | 74 (19.2) |
| Attending doctor | 159 (60.9) | 29 (56.9) | 38 (66.7) | 5 (29.4) | 231 (59.8) |
| Assistant doctor | 11 (4.2) | 3 (5.9) | 9 (15.8) | 3 (17.6) | 26 (6.7) |
| Resident | 34 (13.1) | 2 (3.9) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 36 (9.3) |
| Intern | 16 (6.1) | 2 (3.9) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (5.9) | 16 (4.1) |
| Acknowledged that knowledge of antibiotics is important in their profession | |||||
| Yes | 259 (99.2) | 49 (96.1) | 57 (100.0) | 17 (100.0) | 382 (99.0) |
| No | 2 (0.8) | 2 (3.9) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (1.0) |
| Frequency of antibiotic prescriptionc | |||||
| More than once a day | 158 (60.6) | 42 (82.4) | 35 (62.5) | 14 (82.3) | 249 (64.7) |
| Once a day | 10 (3.8) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (7.1) | 0 (0.0) | 14 (3.6) |
| 3–5 times per week | 64 (24.5) | 7 (13.7) | 10 (17.9) | 1 (5.9) | 82 (21.3) |
| 1–2 times per week | 18 (6.9) | 2 (3.9) | 2 (3.6) | 1 (5.9) | 23 (6.0) |
| Less than once a week | 11 (4.2) | 0 (0.0) | 5 (8.9) | 1 (5.9) | 17 (4.4) |
a Hospitals in district A have technical support for activities of medicine, surgery and obstetrics.
b Hospitals in district B have no technical support.
c In Luangprabang, n = 56.