Assessment of knowledge, accessibility, and adherence to the use of personal protective equipment and standard preventive practices among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND: Healthcare workers are at risk of acquiring infectious agents while providing services to patients. Thus, the need for evaluating and closely monitoring healthcare worker knowledge, perception, and adherence levels is critical. This study evaluates the knowledge, accessibility, and adherence regarding personal protective equipment (PPE) and preventive protocols among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN AND METHODS: A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted from March to September 2021. The study participants were 187 healthcare workers who replied to a 31-item questionnaire using an online tool. RESULTS: A total of 187 participants responded to the questionnaire. Most of the participants 102 (54.5%) were in the age group of 25–34 years. Of the 187 participants, 98 (52.4%) were medical doctors, and 92 (49.2%) had correct knowledge regarding donning and doffing of PPE. The vast majority (93.7%) had access to essential PPE. The average adherence level was 82.1%. Accessibility (p = 0.003) and adherence (p < 0.01) were found to be significantly high in older age participants. CONCLUSION: The study showed most of the healthcare workers had appropriate knowledge and, they also adhered to the proper use of PPE and infection control protocols. However, few of them identified with poor knowledge about COVID-19, inappropriate doffing of PPE, non-adherence to the protocol, and unacceptable practices. We recommend the provision of adequate training that will lead to minimizing the risk of exposure to and transmission of COVID-19 among healthcare providers.