Knowledge and Compliance with Standard Precautions and its Predictors among Health Care Workers in Teaching Hospitals, Ilam, Iran

Implementation of standard precautions plays an important role in preventing nosocomial infections, as well as the safety of patients, and health care workers. This study aimed to determine the knowledge and compliance of health care workers with standard precautions in teaching hospitals in Ilam, Iran, during 2019.

This study was conducted based on a descriptive cross-sectional research method. The study setting included all teaching hospitals affiliated to Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran. The study population consisted of 200 health care workers, including nurses, paramedics, midwives, as well as associates and experts of the operating room, laboratory, and anesthesia, who were selected through the census method. The data were collected using demographic and professional characteristics form, as well as knowledge and compliance with standard precautions questionnaire. Knowledge questionnaire covers 20 items, and the maximum possible score is 20 (range:0-20). A higher score indicates a higher level of knowledge about precautionary standards. Compliance with standard precaution questionnaire consists of 20 items giving a score range of 0-80. A higher score indicates a higher level of precautionary standards. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 22).

Data from 180 participants were collected and analyzed in this study. The mean (SD) knowledge score and compliance with standard precautions were obtained at 15.58 (3.07) and 69.64 (9.89), respectively. There was a significant difference between the knowledge scores of the participants regarding gender and ward type (P<0.05). The most important predictors of compliance with standard precautions were knowledge of standard precautions, the history of sharp injury in the last six months, and work experience (P<0.05).

The study findings showed that health care workers' knowledge and compliance with standard precautions was moderate to good. Regular related infection control training courses, provision of adequate equipment, and ongoing monitoring are recommended to improve health care workers' adherence to standard precautions.