MRSA Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about MRSA, including details on methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, hospitals, infection, antibiotic resistance, superbugs.

A pilot study to investigate patients reported knowledge, awareness, and beliefs on health care-associated infection.

Madeo M, Shields L, Owen E

BACKGROUND: Health care-associated infections (HCAIs) remain a concern for patients, staff, and health care organizations. There is a lack of relevant literature on patients' views and opinions of infection control services. METHOD: A descriptive study of 110 patients was undertaken utilizing a developed questionnaire to investigate patients' knowledge, perceptions, and beliefs around HCAIs. RESULTS: Respondents believed they were well aware of the risks of HCAI before hospital admission, but their knowledge on routes of transmission and prevention of infection was poor. Twenty-eight percent of the respondents were able to name Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as contributing to HCAIs. Patients' main sources of information about infections were newspapers and television. CONCLUSION: Patients have a high level of awareness of the risk of HCAI but have little knowledge about how infections spread or about their prevention.

Published 4 February 2008 in Am J Infect Control, 36(1): 63-9.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 MRSA Research Today. All Rights Reserved.