Burdens of infection control on healthcare workers: a scoping review

Authors:

• Ungar, R.
• Gur-Arie, R.
• Heriot, G.S.
• Jamrozik, E.

Details:

Journal of Hospital Infection, Volume 146, 2024-04-30

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Introduction Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) pose a significant risk to patients, and are a major focus of infection prevention and control policies (IPC). One under-recognized reason for the generally poor compliance with IPC is that it is burdensome for healthcare workers (HCWs). Aim To identify the burdens of IPC for HCWs. Methods PubMed and CINAHL were searched for studies published in English since 2000 regarding compliance with IPC and the burdens associated with compliance. After screening 1018 initial results, 25 articles were included in the final review. Results Evidence was found for burdens including dermatological complications, headaches, sensory symptoms and time pressure. Tools designed to measure compliance with IPC have limitations, and rarely assess the burdens of compliance. A strong safety culture predicted positive compliance, while knowledge of the underlying rationale for IPC had a non-linear relationship with compliance. Conclusion Future research should clarify IPC-related burdens and how these may be minimized to achieve better compliance.