Awareness among French healthcare workers of the transmission of multidrug resistant organisms: a large cross-sectional survey

Abstract

BackgroundMuch effort has been made over the last two decades to educate and train healthcare professionals working on antimicrobial resistance in French hospitals. However, little has been done in France to assess perceptions, attitudes and knowledge regarding multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs) and, more globally, these have never been evaluated in a large-scale population of medical and non-medical healthcare workers (HCWs). Our aim was to explore awareness among HCWs by evaluating their knowledge of MDROs and the associated control measures, by comparing perceptions between professional categories and by studying the impact of training and health beliefs.MethodsA multicentre cross-sectional study was conducted in 58 randomly selected French healthcare facilities with questionnaires including professional and demographic characteristics, and knowledge and perception of MDRO transmission and control. A knowledge score was calculated and used in a logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with higher knowledge of MDROs, and the association between knowledge and perception.ResultsBetween June 2014 and March 2016, 8716/11,753 (participation rate, 74%) questionnaires were completed. The mean knowledge score was 4.7/8 (SD: 1.3) and 3.6/8 (SD: 1.4) in medical and non-medical HCWs, respectively. Five variables were positively associated with higher knowledge: working in a university hospital (adjusted odds ratio, 1.41, 95% CI 1.16–1.70); age classes 26–35 years (1.43, 1.23–1.6) and 36–45 years (1.19, 1.01–1.40); medical professional status (3.7, 3.09–4.44), working in an intensive care unit (1.28, 1.06–1.55), and having been trained on control of antimicrobial resistance (1.31, 1.16–1.48). After adjustment for these variables, greater knowledge was significantly associated with four cognitive factors: perceived susceptibility, attitude toward hand hygiene, self-efficacy, and motivation.ConclusionsWe found a low level of MDRO awareness and knowledge of associated control measures among French HCWs. Training on hand hygiene and measures to control MDRO spread may be helpful in shaping beliefs and perceptions on MDRO control among other possible associated factors. Messages should be tailored to professional status and their perception. Other approaches should be designed, with more effective methods of training and cognitive interventions.Trial registrationClinical Trials.gov NCT02265471. Registered 16 October 2014 - Retrospectively registered.

The knowledge, attitudes and practices of doctors, pharmacists and nurses on antimicrobials, antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial stewardship in South Africa

“…However, as a group, HCPs' awareness of AMR was comparable to a study by Burger et al (2016), in which final year pharmacy students in SA reported 97.7% awareness to AMR as a global problem. 14 Our HCPs' national awareness of AMR was similar to the studies by Vaillant et al (2019), where French HCPs reported 93% national awareness of AMR, and Farley et al (2018), where 95.8% of primary care prescribers in SA stated AMR was a national problem. 15,16 The appreciation of the problem of AMR in context of their own work showed there was a much lower awareness of AMR in their hospitals or practices.…”

“…14 Our HCPs' national awareness of AMR was similar to the studies by Vaillant et al (2019), where French HCPs reported 93% national awareness of AMR, and Farley et al (2018), where 95.8% of primary care prescribers in SA stated AMR was a national problem. 15,16 The appreciation of the problem of AMR in context of their own work showed there was a much lower awareness of AMR in their hospitals or practices. This being stated, our findings showed higher awareness at practice level compared to the study by Vaillant et al (2019), who reported 51.5% of French HCPs had awareness of AMR at practice level.…”

“…This being stated, our findings showed higher awareness at practice level compared to the study by Vaillant et al (2019), who reported 51.5% of French HCPs had awareness of AMR at practice level. 15 Note: Doctors: n = 842; Pharmacists: n = 497; Nurses: n = 371.…”

“…15,16 The appreciation of the problem of AMR in context of their own work showed there was a much lower awareness of AMR in their hospitals or practices. This being stated, our findings showed higher awareness at practice level compared to the study by Vaillant et al (2019), who reported 51.5% of French HCPs had awareness of AMR at practice level. 15 Note: Doctors: n = 842; Pharmacists: n = 497; Nurses: n = 371.…”

Microbiological Contamination of the Office Environment in Dental and Medical Practice

“…The improvement of hand hygiene compliance allows a decrease in the dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment and to reduce the number of healthcare-associated infections [ 40 ]. In dental and GP offices, the infection prevention and control measures need to be improved because, to date, awareness and knowledge associated with measures to control the transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria among French healthcare workers are insufficient [ 41 ].…”