Knowledge and Attitude of Healthcare Providers in the United Arab Emirates about Stem Cells Biotechnology

This work represents a cross-sectional study that is primarily aimed at assessing the knowledge and attitude of healthcare providers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) regarding stem cells and their medical implications. The association between knowledge level and some epidemiological factors of the healthcare providers has also been considered. A self-administered questionnaire was developed by the researchers for the purposes of the study which was distributed among healthcare providers working in Thumbay Hospital Ajman and Thumbay Clinics across UAE of which 316 responses were collected. It was found that majority of the participants (59.8%) have an adequate knowledge of whom most were doctors in the age group of 41+ years. Interestingly, media was reported as the main source for knowledge on stem cells, while research work constituted the least knowledge source. Moreover, most of the participants (87.7%) especially doctors and dentists supported stem cells therapy. Furthermore, there was a clear link between knowledge level and positive attitude towards adopting stem cells therapy. Similarly, gender and years of experience were significantly associated with knowledge level. The study concluded with a recommendation to increase awareness on stem cells therapy and encourage healthcare providers to attend more conferences and seminars on this regard.