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Adherence to Personal Protective Equipment practices during the COVID-19 pandemic: A pilot study
Taryn B Amos1, Cameron Griffin2, Joshua K Schaffzin3,4
1Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, USA.
Infection Prevention in Practice
|May 30, 2024
Summary
A pilot study validated a tool to measure healthcare personnel (HCP) personal protective equipment (PPE) adherence. Adherence varied by PPE type, highlighting areas for improving safety protocols in pediatric care.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare quality improvement
- Infection prevention and control
- Pediatric healthcare safety
Background:
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is crucial for preventing healthcare-associated infections.
- Standardized tools are needed to accurately assess PPE adherence among healthcare personnel (HCP).
- Previous adherence data in pediatric settings may lack standardization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To pilot and validate a direct observational tool for measuring PPE adherence.
- To identify specific PPE adherence rates across different moments of care in a pediatric institution.
- To provide data for evolving PPE standards for improved effectiveness and usability.
Main Methods:
- Direct observational study of healthcare personnel (HCP) at a large pediatric institution.
- Utilized a standardized tool to measure adherence to various PPE components and moments.
- Collected data on adherence rates for different PPE tasks.
Main Results:
- Overall unit PPE adherence ranged from 50-61% across all observed moments.
- Masking demonstrated the highest adherence at 100%.
- Hand hygiene prior to donning PPE showed the lowest adherence at 13%.
Conclusions:
- The validated observational tool provides reliable data on PPE adherence.
- Significant variability in adherence exists, particularly for hand hygiene before PPE use.
- Data-driven insights can optimize PPE protocols to enhance patient and HCP safety in pediatric settings.
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