Search

Objectives: The primary aim was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of employees (medical, paramedical and other hospital staff) towards blood donation and transfusion practices in a tertiary care hospital. A secondary objective was to assess and interpret the effect of an educational module on improvement in the KAP of employees in a hospital setting. Background: For satisfactory practices, it is essential to initiate KAP studies. Methods/materials: This was a prospective, observational study conducted among hospital staff (clinical and non‐clinical) from January to December 2019. The study was divided into two phases: pre‐educational module (P1) and post‐educational module (P2). In both phases, a questionnaire was distributed. Knowledge was assessed by 30 questions, attitude by 20 questions and practice by 30 questions. If any individual had unsatisfactory scores in both the P1 and P2 phases (scores <40; 50%), they had to participate in a mandatory certificate course. Results: A total of 180 individuals participated in the P1 and 172 participated in the P2 phase. Mean score for practice (0.471) was better than that for attitude (0.447) and knowledge (0.43). Factors associated with good scores were younger age group, more than 5 years of employment and clinical field of study. The total score for KAP increased, and a statistically significant difference (P‐value <.05) was observed between P1 and P2 scores. Of 172 participants, 27 were asked to attend the 2‐week certificate course due to unsatisfactory scores (score < 40) in both P1 and P2 phases. These 27 participants required attending this certificate course a mean of 1.67 ± 0.83 times to obtain satisfactory scores. Conclusion: Educational intervention is an important tool for improving KAP among not only physicians but hospital staff as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]