Researchers Find Low MDRO Awareness and Knowledge of Control Measures Among HCWs

Much effort has been made over the last two decades to educate and train healthcare professionals working on antimicrobial resistance in French hospitals. However, little has been done in France to assess perceptions, attitudes and knowledge regarding multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs) and, more globally, these have never been evaluated in a large-scale population of medical and non-medical healthcare workers (HCWs). The aim of the study by Vaillant, et al. (2019) was to explore awareness among HCWs by evaluating their knowledge of MDROs and the associated control measures, by comparing perceptions between professional categories and by studying the impact of training and health beliefs.

A multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted in 58 randomly selected French healthcare facilities with questionnaires including professional and demographic characteristics, and knowledge and perception of MDRO transmission and control. A knowledge score was calculated and used in a logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with higher knowledge of MDROs, and the association between knowledge and perception.

Between June 2014 and March 2016, 8716/11,753 (participation rate, 74%) questionnaires were completed. The mean knowledge score was 4.7/8 (SD: 1.3) and 3.6/8 (SD: 1.4) in medical and non-medical HCWs, respectively. Five variables were positively associated with higher knowledge: working in a university hospital (adjusted odds ratio, 1.41, 95% CI 1.16–1.70); age classes 26–35 years (1.43, 1.23–1.6) and 36–45 years (1.19, 1.01–1.40); medical professional status (3.7, 3.09–4.44), working in an intensive care unit (1.28, 1.06–1.55), and having been trained on control of antimicrobial resistance (1.31, 1.16–1.48). After adjustment for these variables, greater knowledge was significantly associated with four cognitive factors: perceived susceptibility, attitude toward hand hygiene, self-efficacy, and motivation.

The researchers found a low level of MDRO awareness and knowledge of associated control measures among French HCWs. They say that training on hand hygiene and measures to control MDRO spread may be helpful in shaping beliefs and perceptions on MDRO control among other possible associated factors. Messages should be tailored to professional status and their perception. Other a pproaches should be designed, with more effective methods of training and cognitive interventions.

Reference: Vaillant L, et al. Awareness among French healthcare workers of the transmission of multidrug resistant organisms: a large cross-sectional survey. Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control. Volume 8, No. 173. 2019.

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