The Efficacy of a Structured Health Education Intervention on Improving Infection Prevention and Control Awareness among Healthcare Workers
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Abstract
Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) pose a significant global health challenge. Effective infection prevention and control (IPC) practices are fundamental to patient safety and positive health outcomes. Despite this, a gap in awareness and adherence to IPC guidelines persists among healthcare workers (HCWs). This study aimed to assess the impact of a structured educational intervention on IPC awareness among HCWs.
Methods: This was a single-group, pre- and post-intervention study conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Nashik, India. The study included a convenience sample of 56 HCWs (doctors, interns, and nurses). A validated, self-structured questionnaire was used to assess knowledge before and after a two-hour educational intervention comprising interactive lectures, videos, and demonstrations. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the paired t-test for score changes, and the chi-square test for categorical variables.
Results: The mean pre-intervention score was 28.32 (SD=6.33), which significantly increased to 34.33 (SD=5.88) post-intervention (t=5.1562, p<0.01). Before the intervention, 57.14% of participants had a good awareness score, which dramatically increased to 83.33% post-intervention (χ2=9.9017, p<0.01). Significant score improvements were observed across all occupational groups and both genders. While doctors and interns showed higher post-intervention scores, all groups demonstrated a significant positive change.
Conclusion: The structured educational intervention effectively and significantly improved IPC awareness among HCWs. The findings underscore the importance of continuous, multifaceted training to enhance HCW knowledge and adherence to infection prevention practices, ultimately contributing to a reduction in HAIs and improved patient safety.
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