Knowledge and attitude of healthcare workers and patients on healthcare associated infections in a regional hospital in Ghana

Objective: To assess knowledge and attitude of healthcare workers (HCWs) and patients on\udhealthcare associated infections (HAIs) in the central regional hospital in Ghana.\udMethods: The purposive random sampling method was used to administer questionnaires over a\udperiod of 6 months to HCWs and patients visiting the hospital.\udResults: A total of 210 patients and 71 HCWs were sampled. One hundred and three (53.8%)\udpatients had some knowledge of HAIs with 52 (28.4%) being informed by a HCW compared with\ud63 (88.7%) of HCWs who were well informed about HAIs. Ninety-seven (46.2%) responding patient\udalways washed their hands while 65 (31%) and 48 (22.9%) respectively sometimes or never washed\udtheir hands within or after leaving the hospital. Out of those who washed their hands, 64 (39.5%)\udalways washed with soap while 46 (28.4%) did sometimes. This positively and significantly\udcorrelated (r=0.440, P<0.001) with knowledge on HAIs which was however insignificant in HCWs\ud(r=0.025, P=0.835). As many as 48 (67.6%) of HCWs believed that authorities in the hospital had done\udlittle to prevent HAIs with the main reason being that the hospital was unclean. Whereas, 112 (53.3%)\udof patients considered the hospital clean. Twenty-seven (38%) of HCWs had had confirmed HAIs of\udwhich cholera made up 12 (16.9%) while 94 (44.8%) of patients believed they had had unconfirmed\udHAIs.\udConclusions: Although knowledge on HAIs is adequate, low compliance on preventive\udtechniques resulting in high HAIs indicates attitudinal change is the best means of prevention