Integrating Technology-Driven Database System into Infectious Waste Management for Resource-Limited Settings

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Environmental Health
• Health Informatics

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated infectious waste management challenges in Thailand's sub-district public health facilities.
• Existing systems struggled to cope with the increased volume and specific needs of infectious waste.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement an infectious waste management database system.
• To enhance infectious waste management practices in 14 Sub-District Health Promoting Hospitals (HPHs).

Main Methods:

• Employed a Research and Development (R&D) model combined with the Knowledge-Attitudes-Practices (KAP) model.
• Engaged 145 community caregivers in the development phase, collecting data through KAP surveys and interviews.
• Developed a database system utilizing Microsoft Excel and Power BI, featuring real-time dashboards, GPS data input, and automated alerts.

Main Results:

• 56.55% of participants demonstrated high knowledge of infectious waste management.
• 42.76% exhibited positive attitudes towards infectious waste handling.
• 37.93% showed high compliance with appropriate waste handling practices.

Conclusions:

• The developed digital database system offers a scalable solution for improving infectious waste management.
• The system is particularly beneficial for resource-limited community health settings.
• This initiative addresses critical gaps in infectious waste tracking and management in public health facilities.