Perceptions and attitudes of the professional staff concerning infection surveillance and control programs in Brazilian hospitals

Guerra, Carla Morales; Ramos, Monica Parente; Penna, Virginia Zagallo; Goto, Janaina Midori; Santi, Leandro Queiroz; de Andrade Stempliuk, Valeska; Sallas, Janaina; Medeiros, Eduardo A.S.

doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2009.05.011

« Previous Next »AJIC: American Journal of Infection Control
Volume 38, Issue 1 , Pages 59-62, February 2010

Perceptions and attitudes of the professional staff concerning infection surveillance and control programs in Brazilian hospitals

Carla Morales Guerra, MD, MSc
- Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Address correspondence to Carla Morales Guerra, MD, MSc, Rua Napoleao de Barros, 690, 2andar, São Paulo, SP, 04024-002 - Brazil.
Monica Parente Ramos, MSc, PhD
- Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Virginia Zagallo Penna, NR
- Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Janaina Midori Goto, MD
- Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Leandro Queiroz Santi, MD
- National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA), Brasilia, DF, Brazil
Valeska de Andrade Stempliuk, MSc, PhD
- Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Brasilia, DF, Brazil
Janaina Sallas, MSc
- Ministry of Health in Brazil (MS), Brasilia, DF, Brazil
Eduardo A.S. Medeiros, MD, PhD
- Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

published online 14 September 2009.

Background

Several countries have conducted studies to assess the status of their infection control programs (ICP) with the objective of improving quality of infection control practices.

Methods

To assess the perceptions and attitudes of the health care workers (HCW) concerning ICP in Brazilian hospitals, we conducted a cross-sectional survey using a self-administered online questionnaire during a Web-based course (WBC) on infection control (IC) and antimicrobial resistance (AR).

Results

Of 6256 Brazilian HCW registered for the WBC, 1998 were members of infection control committees (ICC) and answered the survey. Eight hundred six (40.4%) respondents said that an ICP was established for more than 10 years in their institutions. Most professionals reported that their hospitals perform microbiologic surveillance targeted at epidemiologically important multidrug-resistant organisms, but the majority underestimated the prevalence of AR.

Conclusion

Our survey highlights important information about the perceptions and attitudes of ICC members that may be used to tailor key interventions for implementing effective ICP. It suggests, additionally, that, to achieve countrywide standardized IC mechanisms in a developing country, authorities should consider the social, cultural, and economical disparities between regions and identify specific regional needs to make available the resources required to minimize such disparities.

Key Words: Health care workers, infection control programs, perceptions, attitudes