A study published in the Journal of Hospital Infection examined the factors that influence staff compliance with hospital meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus screening policies.
Researchers developed a national cross-sectional survey of nursing staff. They used multiple regression modelling to identify which barriers and enablers best predict staff compliance with MRSA screening policies. The survey polled 450 nurses.
The study shows that the following three factors were significant in predicting optimum — more than 90 percent — compliance with MRSA screening:
• Having MRSA screening routinized within the admission process
• Category of clinical area
• Feedback of MRSA screening compliance within the clinical area
Additionally, embedded values and beliefs regarding the relative prioritization of MRSA screening are also important.
"Future policy recommendations or behavior change interventions, based on the insights presented here, could have significant impact upon improving screening compliance," study authors wrote.