Does clinical experience affect medical students' knowledge, attitudes, and compliance with universal precautions?

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Infectious Disease Prevention
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Medical students' understanding of bloodborne pathogen risks and Universal Precautions (UP) is crucial for patient safety.
• Knowledge, attitudes, and compliance intentions regarding UP can vary based on educational stage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare knowledge, attitudes, and intentions to comply with UP among preclinical and clinical medical students.
• To identify differences in understanding of bloodborne pathogen exposure risks and adherence to safety protocols.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was administered to 251 medical students (111 preclinical, 80 third-year, 60 fourth-year).
• The survey assessed knowledge, attitudes, and intentions related to Universal Precautions and bloodborne pathogen exposure.

Main Results:

• Preclinical students demonstrated greater knowledge regarding hepatitis B vaccine efficacy, post-exposure prophylaxis, and needlestick injury risks.
• Clinical students showed more willingness to rationalize non-compliance with UP and report only high-risk injuries.
• While preclinical students intended to adhere more strictly to UP, clinical students reported higher actual compliance.

Conclusions:

• Significant differences exist in knowledge, attitudes, and intentions regarding UP between preclinical and clinical medical students.
• These disparities highlight the need for targeted educational interventions to improve UP compliance at different stages of medical training.