Assessment on infection prevention and control knowledge among medical professionals in south Indian population

Authors

  • Rahul Radhakrishnan Department of Pharmacy Practice, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8330-6464
  • Maheswary Datchanamoorthy Department of Microbiology, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8053-789X
  • Damodharan Narayanasamy Department of Pharmaceutics, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, India https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4246-5351
  • Kakithakara Vajravelu Leela Department of Microbiology, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, India https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3288-1335

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.17377

Keywords:

Infection control, health workers, COVID-19, internet usage

Abstract

Introduction: Healthcare workers are always at higher risk of biological exposure as the healthcare setting is hazardous, and it is impracticable to exclude infection. Poor compliance with standard precautions among healthcare workers is one of the leading causes of healthcare-associated infections. This study analyzed the gaps in knowledge, attitude, and practice of infection control among healthcare workers and the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, internet, and social media usage on infection control.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted from 1st to 31st March 2022 among various healthcare professionals using a self-administered structured questionnaire to evaluate knowledge, attitude, and practice on infection control. The impact of COVID-19, Internet, and social media usage on infection control practices was also analyzed.

Results: Among 382 healthcare workers who participated in the study, 89.4% of the participants had good knowledge, 55.26% had a neutral attitude, and all showed good practice levels on infection control. Similarly, the result showed that internet and social media usage during COVID-19 had significantly enhanced the knowledge, attitude, and practice on infection control.

Conclusions: Healthcare professionals must be frequently updated on infection control guidelines and routine training programs. The hospital's adherence to the Joint Commission International (JCI) guidelines reduces the risk of healthcare-associated infections. As observed in this study, due to the prominent influence of social media and the internet, these platforms can be exploited to provide training and awareness to healthcare professionals and the public.

Author Biographies

Rahul Radhakrishnan, Department of Pharmacy Practice, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, India

Research Scholar, Department of pharmacy Practice,SRM College of Pharmacy,Kattankulathur

Maheswary Datchanamoorthy, Department of Microbiology, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, India

Assistant Professor , Department of Microbiology, SRM Medical College and Research Centre, SRMIST,Kattankulathur

Damodharan Narayanasamy, Department of Pharmaceutics, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, India

Professor and Head , Department of Pharmaceutics,SRM College of Pharmacy,SRMIST,Kattankulathur

Kakithakara Vajravelu Leela, Department of Microbiology, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, India

Professor and Head,Department of Microbiology, SRM Medical College and Research Centre, SRMIST,Kattankulathur

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Published

2023-04-30

How to Cite

1.
Radhakrishnan R, Datchanamoorthy M, Narayanasamy D, Leela KV (2023) Assessment on infection prevention and control knowledge among medical professionals in south Indian population. J Infect Dev Ctries 17:468–476. doi: 10.3855/jidc.17377

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 04: April 2023

Section

Coronavirus Pandemic

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Damodharan Narayanasamy, Rahul Radhakrishnan, Maheswary D, Leela K V

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