scholarly journals Knowledge of infection prevention and control among healthcare workers and factors influencing compliance: a systematic review

Author(s):  
Saad Alhumaid ◽  
Abbas Al Mutair ◽  
Zainab Al Alawi ◽  
Murtadha Alsuliman ◽  
Gasmelseed Y. Ahmed ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Knowledge of infection prevention and control (IPC) procedures among healthcare workers (HCWs) is crucial for effective IPC. Compliance with IPC measures has critical implications for HCWs safety, patient protection and the care environment. Aims To discuss the body of available literature regarding HCWs' knowledge of IPC and highlight potential factors that may influence compliance to IPC precautions. Design A systematic review. A protocol was developed based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis [PRISMA] statement. Data sources Electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Proquest, Wiley online library, Medline, and Nature) were searched from 1 January 2006 to 31 January 2021 in the English language using the following keywords alone or in combination: knowledge, awareness, healthcare workers, infection, compliance, comply, control, prevention, factors. 3417 papers were identified and 30 papers were included in the review. Results Overall, the level of HCW knowledge of IPC appears to be adequate, good, and/or high concerning standard precautions, hand hygiene, and care pertaining to urinary catheters. Acceptable levels of knowledge were also detected in regards to IPC measures for specific diseases including TB, MRSA, MERS-CoV, COVID-19 and Ebola. However, gaps were identified in several HCWs' knowledge concerning occupational vaccinations, the modes of transmission of infectious diseases, and the risk of infection from needle stick and sharps injuries. Several factors for noncompliance surrounding IPC guidelines are discussed, as are recommendations for improving adherence to those guidelines. Conclusion Embracing a multifaceted approach towards improving IPC-intervention strategies is highly suggested. The goal being to improve compliance among HCWs with IPC measures is necessary.

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus Tolentino Silva ◽  
Tais Freire Galvao ◽  
Evelina Chapman ◽  
Everton Nunes da Silva ◽  
Jorge Otávio Maia Barreto

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged health systems worldwide since 2020. At the frontline of the pandemic, healthcare workers are at high risk of exposure. Compliance with infection prevention and control (IPC) should be encouraged at the frontline. This systematic review aimed to assess the effects of dissemination interventions to improve healthcare workers’ adherence with IPC guidelines for respiratory infectious diseases in the workplace. Methods We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane COVID-19 Study Register. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cluster RCTs that assessed the effect of any dissemination strategy in any healthcare settings. Certainty of evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. We synthesized data using random-effects model meta-analysis in Stata 14.2. Results We identified 14 RCTs conducted from 2004 to 2020 with over 65,370 healthcare workers. Adherence to IPC guidelines was assessed by influenza vaccination uptake, hand hygiene compliance, and knowledge on IPC. The most assessed intervention was educational material in combined strategies (plus educational meetings, local opinion leaders, audit and feedback, reminders, tailored interventions, monitoring the performance of the delivery of health care, educational games, and/or patient-mediated interventions). Combined dissemination strategies compared to usual routine improve vaccination uptake (risk ratio [RR] 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.54 to 1.81, moderate-certainty evidence), and may improve hand hygiene compliance (RR 1.70; 95% CI 1.03 to 2.83, moderate-certainty). When compared to single strategies, combined dissemination strategies probably had no effect on vaccination uptake (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.95 to 1.07, low-certainty), and hand hygiene compliance (RR 1.16, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.36, low-certainty). Knowledge of healthcare workers on IPC improved when combined dissemination strategies were compared with usual activities, and the effect was uncertain in comparison to single strategy (very low-certainty evidence). Conclusions Combined dissemination strategies increased workers’ vaccination uptake, hand hygiene compliance, and knowledge on IPC in comparison to usual activities. The effect was negligible when compared to single dissemination strategies. The adoption of dissemination strategies in a planned and targeted way for healthcare workers may increase adherence to IPC guidelines and thus prevent dissemination of infectious disease in the workplace. Trial registration Protocol available at http://osf.io/aqxnp.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Walelegn Worku Yallew ◽  
Abera Kumie ◽  
Feleke Moges Yehuala

Healthcare workers have good perception towards infection prevention, but there has been a poor practice towards it. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore barriers to practice of infection prevention and control practice in teaching hospitals in Amhara region. A phenomenological approach used to explore the lived experience of healthcare workers and management staffs towards infection prevention practice and control. The data was collected from ten in-depth interviews and 23 focus group discussion participants, by face to face interview using open ended interview performed in safe and quiet places. Data was managed using OpenCode software version 4.03 and contents were analyzed thematically. Totally ten different barriers were identified, such as availability of facilities, shortage of material supply, lack of maintenance of facilities and equipment, high patient flow, experience, emergency situation, healthcare worker behaviour and healthcare worker’s information about infection prevention, low awareness of patients and visitors and overflow of families and visitors to the hospital. For effective infection prevention practice implementation, barriers should be considered via identifying specific organizational, healthcare worker, patients and visitors as targets.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rapeephan R. Maude ◽  
Monnaphat Jongdeepaisal ◽  
Sumawadee Skuntaniyom ◽  
Thanomvong Muntajit ◽  
Stuart D. Blacksell ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Key infection prevention and control measures to limit transmission of COVID-19 include social distancing, hand hygiene, use of facemasks and personal protective equipment. However, these have limited or no impact if not applied correctly through lack of knowledge, inappropriate attitude or incorrect practice. In order to maximise the impact of infection prevention and control measures on COVID-19 spread, we undertook a study to assess and improve knowledge, attitudes and practice among 119 healthcare workers and 100 general public in Thailand. The study setting was two inpatient hospitals providing COVID-19 testing and treatment. Detailed information on knowledge, attitudes and practice among the general public and healthcare workers regarding COVID-19 transmission and its prevention were obtained from a combination of questionnaires and observations. Results Knowledge of the main transmission routes, commonest symptoms and recommended prevention methods was mostly very high (> 80%) in both groups. There was lower awareness of aerosols, food and drink and pets as sources of transmission; of the correct duration for handwashing; recommended distance for social/physical distancing; and about recommended types of face coverings. Information sources most used and most trusted were the workplace, work colleagues, health workers and television. The results were used to produce a set of targeted educational videos which addressed many of these gaps with subsequent improvements on retesting in a number of areas. This included improvements in handwashing practice with an increase in the number of areas correctly washed in 65.5% of the public, and 57.9% of healthcare workers. The videos were then further optimized with feedback from participants followed by another round of retesting. Conclusions Detailed information on gaps in knowledge, attitudes and practice among the general public and healthcare workers regarding COVID-19 transmission and its prevention were obtained from a combination of questionnaires and observations. This was used to produce targeted educational videos which addressed these gaps with subsequent improvements on retesting. The resulting videos were then disseminated as a resource to aid in efforts to fight COVID-19 in Thailand and worldwide.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. e114364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miranda Brouwer ◽  
Eliana Coelho ◽  
Carla das Dores Mosse ◽  
Luciana Brondi ◽  
Laura Winterton ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Marwa Ahmed Abdelwahab ◽  
Eman Abdel Raheem Labah ◽  
Laila Mahmoud Sayed ◽  
Mohamed Mokhtar Elbedwey ◽  
Heba Mohamed Gabr

Objective: Infection is a leading cause of hospitalization and the second most common cause of mortality among hemodialysis (HD) patients. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of infection prevention and control education program on improving healthcare workers knowledge, attitude and practices and reducing incidence of infection in the hemodialysis unit. Methodology: All patients and healthcare workers in the unit within the study period were included. This study was conducted through 3 phases; Phase I: base line survey for assessment of infection prevention and control knowledge, attitude and practices among healthcare workers, Phase II: Intervention that included infection control standardized education program followed by post education survey. Phase III: Implementation of infection control program was done associated with assessment of blood born viruses (HCV, HBV & HIV) and monitoring patients for fever and/or local signs of inflammation at catheter exit or at skin around shunt to be subjected to blood culture. Results: Health care workers knowledge, attitude and practices of infection prevention and control before intervention were unsatisfactory followed by significant improvement reflecting the effectiveness of such interventions. Regarding incidence of infection there were three cases of blood stream infections; two of them were multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs) and no reported cases of seroconverion for HIV, HCV or HBV during study period.  Conclusion: Lack of knowledge about infection prevention and control practices in hemodialysis unit could be significantly improved by standardized education program which results in reducing incidence of infections in such units.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Biniyam Sahiledengle ◽  
Yohannes Tekalegn ◽  
Demelash Woldeyohannes

AbstractBackgroundEffective infection prevention and control measures, such as such hand hygiene, the use of personal protective equipment, instrument processing, safe injection, and safe disposal of infectious wastes in the healthcare facilities maximize patient outcomes and are essential to providing effective, efficient, and quality health care services. In Ethiopia, findings regarding infection prevention practices among healthcare workers have been highly variable and uncertain. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis estimate the pooled prevalence of safe infection prevention practices and summarize the associated factors among healthcare workers in Ethiopia.MethodsPubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane library were systematically searched. We included all observational studies reporting the prevalence of safe infection prevention practices among healthcare workers in Ethiopia. Two authors independently extracted all necessary data using a standardized data extraction format. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were employed. The Cochrane Q test statistics and I2 tests were used to assess the heterogeneity of the studies. A random-effects meta-analysis model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of safe infection prevention practice.ResultsOf the 187 articles identified through our search, 10 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of safe infection prevention practice in Ethiopia was 52.2% (95%CI: 40.9-63.4). The highest prevalence of safe practice was observed in Addis Ababa (capital city) 66.2% (95%CI: 60.6-71.8), followed by Amhara region 54.6% (95%CI: 51.1-58.1), and then Oromia region 48.5% (95%CI: 24.2-72.8), and the least safe practices were reported from South Nation Nationalities and People (SNNP) and Tigray regions with a pooled prevalence of 39.4% (95%CI: 13.9-64.8). In our qualitative syntheses, healthcare workers socio-demographic factors (young age, female gender), behavioral-related factors (being knowledgeable and having a positive attitude towards infection prevention), and healthcare facility-related factors (presence of running water supply, availability of infection prevention guideline, and receiving training) were important variables associated with safe infection prevention practice.ConclusionsOnly half of the healthcare workers in Ethiopia practiced safe infection prevention. Furthermore, the study found out that there were regional and professional variations in the prevalence of safe infection prevention practices. Therefore, the need to step-up efforts to intensify the current national infection prevention and patient safety initiative as key policy direction is 41 strongly recommended, along with more attempts to increase healthcare worker’s adherence towards infection prevention guidelines.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 1093-1099
Author(s):  
Akinwumi Ayodeji Akinbodewa ◽  
Michael Simidele Odimayo ◽  
Olorunfemi Akinbode Ogundele ◽  
Tosin Oluwapelumi Ogunleye ◽  
Olanrewaju Olayinka Johnson ◽  
...  

Since the advent of 2019-Corona virus Disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria in February 2020, the number of confirmed cases has risen astronomically to over 61,307 cases within 8 months with more than 812 healthcare workers infected and some recorded deaths within their ranks. Infection prevention and control is a key component in ensuring safety of healthcare workers in the hospital as health- care-associated infection is one of the most common complications of healthcare management. Unbridled transmission of infection can lead to shortage of healthcare personnel, reduced system efficiency, increased morbidity and mortality among patients and in some instances, total collapse of healthcare delivery services. The Infection Prevention and Control Committee is a recognised group by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention with their core programmes including drawing up activities, procedures and policies designed to achieve above-stated objectives before, during and after any disease outbreak, especially emerging and re-emerging ones such as the 2019 Coronavirus Disease. In this report, we highlight the roles played by the Infection Prevention and Control Committee of the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within and outside the hospital community and the lessons learned to date. Keywords: COVID-19; infection prevention; infection control; Nigeria.


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