Evaluation of Health Care Worker's Views on the Footprint Identification Method in Newborns in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in 2011

Newborn identification is a significant issue for parents and treatment systems. In Iran, used of footprint method for this that it may result hospital infection and misidentification. Our subject of this study was evaluation of health care worker's views (include gynecologists, pediatricians, newborn nurses and midwives) about footprint identification method. In this cross sectional study 203 health care workers participated and filled short questionnaire which had two parts (Attitude and Perceptions) with 14 questions and one open unstructured response. The questionnaire was distributed among health care workers. Data were analyzed by using of SPSS software version 18 and frequency and percentage of responses were identified. A total of 203 questionnaires of participants include 28 (13.7%) gynecologists, 84 (41.3%) pediatricians, 45 (22.1%) newborn nurses and 46 (22.5%) midwives were analyzed. 157 person of them (77%) know that footprint take from all newborn, 93 person (45.6%) did not know what way use for newborn identification in developed countries and 83 person (40.7%) did not know about risk of infection transmission, 68 person (33.3%) opposed with this way and 132 person (64.7%) prefer to use alternative method. Footprint identification method is not a health care workers priority and must be replaced with alternative method.