Understanding Healthcare Workers Self-Reported Practices, Knowledge and Attitude about Hand Hygiene in a Medical...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare-associated infections
• Infection prevention and control
• Public health

Background:

• Hand hygiene is critical in preventing healthcare-associated infections.
• Understanding healthcare worker practices, knowledge, and attitudes is essential for effective infection control strategies.
• Rural healthcare settings in India face unique challenges in implementing optimal hygiene protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess self-reported hand hygiene practices among healthcare workers.
• To evaluate knowledge and attitudes towards hand hygiene.
• To identify barriers affecting hand hygiene compliance in a rural Indian teaching hospital.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted at a rural teaching hospital in Ujjain, India.
• Self-administered questionnaires, based on WHO guidelines, were used to collect data from physicians, nurses, and students.
• Response rate was 53% (259 out of 489 participants).

Main Results:

• Reported hand hygiene adherence varied significantly (40-96%) across different situations and professional categories.
• Major barriers included high workload, resource scarcity, lack of information, and low institutional priority.
• Previous hand hygiene training was significantly associated with better self-reported practices (p=0.001).

Conclusions:

• Self-reported hand hygiene knowledge and adherence are inconsistent, highlighting areas for improvement.
• Addressing identified barriers like workload and resource limitations is key to enhancing practices.
• Future interventions should focus on targeted training to reinforce the importance of consistent hand hygiene.