Visitor behavior during hospital inpatient visitation

Area of Science:

• Infection Prevention and Control
• Public Health
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Current healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevention guidelines primarily target healthcare workers.
• Behavioral protocols for visitors and caregivers to prevent HAIs are lacking.
• Understanding visitor behavior is crucial for developing effective infection control strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the behavior of hospital visitors.
• To identify behaviors that may contribute to the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms.
• To provide evidence-based suggestions for visitor conduct in the post-pandemic era.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 621 hospital visitors.
• The survey collected data on visitor demographics and behaviors related to patient visits.

Main Results:

• 12.4% of visitors reported infection-related symptoms.
• 68.6% of visitors indicated they would cancel visits if symptomatic.
• 22.9% of visitors were unaware of handwashing facilities, and only 56.5% performed adequate hand hygiene.

Conclusions:

• Hospitals should screen visitors for infectious symptoms at entry.
• Visitor knowledge regarding hand hygiene is insufficient.
• Implementing clear hand hygiene recommendations and information at hospital entrances can improve compliance.