Knowledge, attitude, and performance of medical staff of teaching healthcare settings about hepatitis B and C in Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

Background:hospital personnel are at high risk of exposure, infection, and transmission of viral hepatitis. The present study aimed at investigating the knowledge, attitude, and performance of health service providers to provide them with the information required for their educational promotion on viral hepatitis.Materials and Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 staff of the forenamed healthcare settings such as on nurses, midwives, licensed practical nurses, and lab officials in Isfahan, Iran, in 2012. A checklist including demographic data and questions associated with the knowledge (18 questions), attitude (4 questions), and performance (15 questions) on hepatitis B and C was completed by the participants.Results:A total of 388 participants completed the checklist. Participants’ knowledge on the ways of transmission, prevalence, vaccination, and prevention methods was moderate (total score = 58.56 ± 10.1 percent) and the attitude was generally positive. Proper vaccination was carried out by 81.4% of the participants. Accidental injury by a needle was reported in 47.7% of the participants, but only 37.6% of them reported it to higher authorities and of them only 13.7% received appropriate treatment. Only 44.3% and 11.6% of participants reported always using gloves and masks, respectively, and 58.8% of the staff covered the needle cap before transferring it to the safety box.Conclusions:Due to excessive contact with patients, a paramedic-educated society is expected to have an optimal level of knowledge, attitude, and performance related to viral hepatitis. Our results from the checklists showed that medical personnel are not appropriately aware of viral hepatitis and their performance, too, is not satisfactory. Further continuous training is required and there needs to be more emphasis on actions regarding behaviors with high risk of infection transmission.

Occupational Exposure to Blood and Other Body Fluids Among Healthcare Workers in Three Teaching Hospitals, Southeast Iran

“…However, this level of immunization coverage is not sufficient to protect HCWs against occupationally acquired hepatitis B virus infections. This finding is in agreement with the results from another study that reported that proper hepatitis B vaccination was carried out by 81.4% of HCWs in Isfahan, Iran (26). The hepatitis B vaccination status in HCWs who are at an increased risk of exposure to bloodborne infections have also been found to be suboptimal.…”

Knowledge, attitude, and practice towards Hepatitis B infection among nurses and midwives in two maternity hospitals in Khartoum, Sudan

“…These results indicate that there is a need for more HBV health promotion, targeted education, and training of nurses and midwives. Other studies reported that the level of the knowledge of hepatitis is low among different populations, including HCW, in several areas worldwide [23–25].…”

Pharmacist intervention to improve patients’ knowledge and attitude towards hepatitis B infection

“…Level of HBV knowledge among physicians, 17,20,21 nurses, 22,23 students, 24,25 hepatitis B-infected patients 26,27 and non-infected individuals in society 5,28 was reported in the past. However, to our knowledge, this is the first study that was carried out by a CP and includes intervention and evaluation of the intervention's effectiveness after a certain amount of time.…”