Knowledge, attitude, and challenges about standard safety precautions and vaccination among health care...

Healthcare workers are often at risk of exposure to hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) while working. Preventive strategies, such as standard safety precautions and vaccination, decrease the incidence of HAIs. The present study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and challenges faced by healthcare professionals regarding standard safety precautions and vaccination.

This cross-sectional study was conducted among healthcare professionals across various medical Institutions. A validated online questionnaire was circulated which consisted of questions related to knowledge, attitude, and challenges about standard safety precautions and vaccination. Appropriate statistical tests were applied for the analysis.

Among 316 healthcare professionals surveyed, the mean knowledge score was 12.2 out of 19, and the mean attitude score was 42.7 out of 50, indicating overall acceptable knowledge and positive attitudes. Higher knowledge scores were observed among females, trained individuals, and clinical staff. Significant associations were observed between knowledge scores with age group (χ² = 10.96, p = 0.027), gender (χ² = 7.55, p = 0.006), and position (χ² = 11.22, p = 0.024). A modest positive correlation (r = 0.21; p = 0.0002) existed between knowledge and attitude.

Although healthcare personnel have typically good attitudes and acceptable levels of knowledge, effective application of conventional precautions is hampered by challenges. Promoting compliance and lowering the load of healthcare-associated infections depend on closing these gaps by means of better infrastructure support and increased training programs.