Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Infection Control and Waste Management among Traditional Medicine Practitioners in Bhutan, 2019: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey

Knowledge and attitude of nosocomial infection prevention and control precautions among healthcare personnel at Kiruddu Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda

BACKGROUND

A key concern for global public health is nosocomial infections. Essential to the fight against nosocomial infection, is healthcare professionals' knowledge and attitudes. Therefore, this study investigated healthcare professionals' knowledge and attitudes toward nosocomial infection at the Kiruddu Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda.

METHODS

A facility-based cross-sectional study was carried out at Kiruddu Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. We selected the participants using simple random sampling. Data were collected from a total of 78 healthcare personnel using pretested, structured, self-administered questionnaires. We used SPSS version 20.0 for data analysis and applied descriptive statistics to present the frequencies and percentages. Pearson's Chi-square test was used to evaluate the association between independent factors and knowledge and attitude (KA) ratings on hospital-acquired infection (HAI) prevention. P-values less than 0.05 were regarded as statistically significant.

RESULTS

Among the different categories of health workers, doctors exhibited the highest level of knowledge. There was a significant association between knowledge scores and occupation (χ2LR = 25.610; P = 0.000). The mean knowledge scores across different infection prevention aspects were as follows: hand hygiene (82.2 ± 18.9), PPE use (71.8 ± 23.1), sharp disposal and sharp injuries (59.2 ± 25.7), and waste management (57.4 ± 29.9). Notably, 20.5% of participants did not change PPE between patients, and 44.9% indicated that their workload negatively impacted their ability to follow infection prevention standards.

CONCLUSION

The study highlighted gaps in healthcare personnel's knowledge and attitudes toward infection prevention. It is therefore important to provide regular targeted training programs emphasizing underrepresented areas, PPE availability, strengthen policy enforcement, and integrate infection prevention education into medical and nursing curricula.

Perspectives on chronic musculoskeletal pain management among healthcare professionals in Bhutan: A qualitative study

INTRODUCTION

Musculoskeletal pain disorders continue to be one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Best practice care recommends patient-centred biopsychosocial models of care. Little is known about the chronic musculoskeletal pain management in low- and middle-income countries.

OBJECTIVES

To explore the management of chronic musculoskeletal pain by healthcare professionals in Bhutan.

METHODS

This study employed a qualitative design involving 19 Bhutanese healthcare professionals managing chronic musculoskeletal pain in Bhutan. We collected data using a semi-structured interview guide. Thematic analysis was done manually.

RESULTS

Healthcare professionals reported that patients rely on a combination of home remedies and seek help from local healers and hospitals for chronic musculoskeletal pain management. While healthcare professionals understand chronic musculoskeletal pain as multi-dimensional phenomenon, the primary focus was on identifying and treating structural anomalies. Time constraints, inadequate knowledge and skills, lack of confidence, facilities and expertise were reported as barriers to the effective management of chronic musculoskeletal pain. They proposed a need for clinical guidelines, relevant skills training and creating awareness of chronic musculoskeletal pain.

CONCLUSION

The management of chronic musculoskeletal pain in Bhutan is focused on identifying and treating physical abnormalities. Healthcare professionals consider psychosocial dimensions important but lack any form of actionable interventions in this domain.