Cent Eur J Public Health 2021, 29(2):102-108 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a6501

Evaluation of hand hygiene: Is university medical education effective in prevention of hospital-acquired infections?

Simona Kelčíková1, Lucia Mazúchová1, Nora Malinovská2, Jana Kopincová3, Ingrid Tonhajzerová3
1 Department of Midwifery, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University in Bratislava, Martin, Slovak Republic
2 Department of Foreign Languages, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University in Bratislava, Martin, Slovak Republic
3 Department of Physiology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University in Bratislava, Martin, Slovak Republic

Objective: Hand hygiene (HH) compliance is associated with effective prevention of health care-associated infections (HAI), the topic being very important due to current COVID-19 pandemic. There is a growing debate about the role of educational institutions in the low HH compliance of health workers. This study aimed to assess HH knowledge, self-assessment and attitudes of medical students in relation to provided educational background.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey (mixed methods-approach) combined with the curriculum analysis and questionnaires. Quantitative method: a questionnaire of knowledge of HH issues (QK), and a questionnaire of self-assessment and attitudes (SAQ) towards HH. Qualitative method focused on an analysis of content of the curriculum documents.

Results: 250 (KQ) and 238 (SAQ) questionnaires were analysed from students of general medicine (n = 262; average age 22.5 years). Below-average knowledge of HH and a high self-assessment of knowledge and compliance with HH was reported by 72.2% and 76.0% of students, respectively. Significant differences in knowledge and self-assessment of HH were found among study years and gender. The content analysis has revealed gaps in HH-related information in general medicine educational programme.

Conclusions: It is highly expected that there might be some association between low HH knowledge level, false self-assessment and educational programme in medical students.

Keywords: hand hygiene, hospital-acquired infections, knowledge, self-assessment, medical education, content analysis

Received: September 9, 2020; Revised: April 19, 2021; Accepted: April 19, 2021; Published: June 30, 2021  Show citation

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Kelčíková S, Mazúchová L, Malinovská N, Kopincová J, Tonhajzerová I. Evaluation of hand hygiene: Is university medical education effective in prevention of hospital-acquired infections? Cent Eur J Public Health. 2021;29(2):102-108. doi: 10.21101/cejph.a6501. PubMed PMID: 34245549.
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