Education interventions to improve healthcare workers’ adherence to Standard Precautions for the control of health care-associated infections

Abstract

What is this? Standard Precautions, including using personal protective equipment (PPE) or adhering to safe handling of needles are essential for the prevention and spread of infections, such as COVID-19, in healthcare settings (e.g. hospitals and nursing homes). In this Cochrane systematic review, the authors searched for research evaluating educational interventions to improve adherence to Standard Precautions by healthcare workers. They did not restrict by date, type or language of publication and did their searches in February 2017. They identified 4 individual randomized trials, 1 individual randomized trial with a crossover design, 2 cluster-randomized trials and one non-randomized trial (total: 673 participants), but there was considerable variation in interventions and outcome measures used, and in the certainty of the evidence. What works: Education with visualisation of respiratory particle dispersion probably improves healthcare workers’ use of facial protection. Peer evaluation probably improves healthcare workers’ adherence to Standard Precautions. Checklists and coloured cues probably improve healthcare workers’ adherence to Standard Precautions.