A recent study published in American Journal of Infection Control quizzed medical students on healthcare-associated infections and standard and isolation precautions and found three factors that were associated with a higher level of knowledge among the students.
The study was conducted between January and June 2012 at Necker-Enfants Malades, a 650-bed teaching hospital in Paris, France. Researchers gave more than 170 students a questionnaire before and after a one-hour lecture on HAIs.
Overall infection control knowledge among the study population was fairly low; the median score on the preintervention questionnaire was five points out of a possible 12. The median score on the postintervention questionnaire was 6.4 of 12, significantly better than the preintervention scores.
Of note, hand hygiene questions had a positive answer rate of 88.5 percent on the preintervention questionnaire and 92.6 percent on the postintervention questionnaire. On the other hand, only six students (3.4 percent) knew how common hospital pathogens spread.
In a univariate analysis, the researchers found that better scores on the questionnaire were typically associated with students that:
1. Have a relative hospitalized or being followed for a chronic disease
2. Received the flu vaccine; and
3. Had previously worked in an intensive care unit or infectious disease ward.
More articles on HAIs and infection control:
Oklahoma hospital augments HAI Prevention with Spectra254 UVC Light Disinfection Systems
Apps reduce HAIs, up hand hygiene compliance
APIC names 6 Heroes of Infection Prevention