Background and objectives: Growing urbanization has led to several changes in the healthcare sector. While on one hand, access to healthcare services are being provided to the community thereby resulting in the better health for all, improper management of biomedical waste emanating from these healthcare establishments has also given rise to many environmental and health problems. Although awareness in this issue has considerably increased over the last few years, sensitivity to this problem has been limited. Most hospitals are not actively involved in addressing this problem. Also, the staffs are not trained in the proper waste management procedures.
The present interventional study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice about hospital waste management, to provide training programme on hospital waste management and to assess the effect of training among the staff of dental teaching hospitals in Bangalore city.
Methodology: A specially prepared and pre-tested structured questionnaire was given to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices among the staff of dental teaching hospitals and collected personally. One day training programme on the hospital waste management was organized at each dental college. Intervention was evaluated by assessing improvements in their knowledge, change in attitude and practice scores after intervention in comparison to the base line scores.
Results: Two months after intervention there was a 24.4% improvement in knowledge among the dentists, 18.7% improvement among auxiliaries and 23.3% improvement (p<0.001, significant) among the attenders when compared to the baseline knowledge. There was 36.2% change in attitude among the dentists, 33.3% change among auxiliaries, 56.42% and among the attenders (p<0.001, significant) when compared to the baseline attitude. There was a 17.6% change in practice among the dentists, 16.4 % change among auxiliaries, and 4.4 % among the attenders when compared to the baseline practice.
Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that a training programme increases the knowledge as well as the sense of responsibility resulting in change in attitude and practices. However, to implement an effective and sustainable hospital waste management system: budget support, allocation of resources and technical guidance is required. Large volumes of workload bureaucratic culture and slow percolation of decisions delays the changes that are mandated.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Review of Literature
3. Materials and Methods
3.1 Obtaining approval from the authorities
3.1.1 Ethical committee clearance
3.1.2 Required information about the study areas
3.2 Sample size
3.3 Pilot study
3.4 Schedule of the study
3.5 Implementing the study
3.5.1 Base line data
3.5.2 Details of the intervention
3.6 Post intervention data
3.7 Evaluation of the intervention
3.8 Statistical analysis
4. Results
5. Discussion
6. Summary
7. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
The research aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) regarding hospital waste management among staff in dental teaching hospitals in Bangalore, and to determine the impact of a structured training intervention on improving these parameters.
- Assessment of baseline knowledge, attitude, and practice levels across different staff cadres (dentists, auxiliaries, attenders).
- Implementation of structured training interventions on proper biomedical waste handling and safety protocols.
- Evaluation of post-intervention improvements in knowledge and practice scores.
- Identification of systemic hurdles, such as workload and administrative culture, affecting sustainable waste management.
Excerpt from the Book
INTRODUCTION
Health and disease have no political or geographical boundaries. In the early Greek, Roman, Egyptian civilizations, the temple of god was used as hospitals. So, hospital is a place of almighty, a place to serve the patient. These are complex institutions which were frequented by people from every walk of life in the society without any distinction between age, sex, race and religion.
Growing urbanization has led to several changes in the healthcare sector. While on one hand, access to healthcare services are being provided to the community thereby resulting in the better health for all, improper management of hospital waste emanating from these healthcare establishments has also given rise to many environmental and health problems, thereby negating the benefits of the expanding health sector.
It is reported that for the first time the hospital waste management issue was discussed at a meeting convened by the World Health Organization regional office for Europe at Bergen, Norway in 1983. The seriousness of the issue was brought to limelight during the “beach wash- ups” of summer 1988. Investigation carried out by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) of USA in this regard culminated in the passing of Medical Waste Tracking Act (MWTA), November 1988. With the passage of time the problem has evolved as a global humanitarian issue.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter provides an overview of the global importance of hospital waste management, highlighting the risks posed by improper disposal and the specific context of dental healthcare environments.
2. Review of Literature: This section examines existing research on waste management practices, revealing significant gaps in staff knowledge and the scarcity of studies evaluating the efficacy of training programs.
3. Materials and Methods: This chapter details the cluster sampling, study population, questionnaire design, and the implementation of the interventional training programs for different staff categories.
4. Results: This chapter presents the statistical data comparing baseline and post-intervention scores for knowledge, attitude, and practice across dentists, auxiliaries, and attenders.
5. Discussion: This section interprets the study findings in the context of global "duty of care" standards, emphasizing the need for management commitment beyond mere technical interventions.
6. Summary: This chapter provides a concise recapitulation of the study's scope, methodology, intervention efforts, and the observed quantitative improvements.
7. Conclusion: The final chapter concludes that while training significantly improves knowledge, sustainable waste management requires robust administrative support and an organizational cultural shift.
Keywords
Biomedical waste, Hospital waste management, Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Training intervention, Dental teaching hospitals, Infection control, Segregation, Waste disposal, Occupational safety, Biohazard, Healthcare workers, Public health dentistry, Waste handling.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this dissertation?
This work focuses on assessing the knowledge, attitude, and practice of hospital waste management among staff in dental teaching hospitals and evaluating the effectiveness of a specialized training intervention.
Which staff groups were included in the study?
The study surveyed three distinct cadres of staff: dentists, dental auxiliaries, and attenders.
What was the main research goal?
The primary goal was to provide training on hospital waste management and to assess whether such intervention significantly improves the waste handling knowledge and behaviors of the staff.
What scientific methods were employed?
The study used a structured, pre-tested questionnaire to gather baseline and post-intervention data, supplemented by a observational checklist to verify actual waste management practices in the hospitals.
How was the success of the training program measured?
Success was measured by comparing mean scores and percentage changes in knowledge, attitude, and practice before and two months after the intervention, using statistical tools like the Student t-test.
Which key areas of waste management were evaluated?
The study evaluated segregation techniques, colour coding compliance, the use of personal protective equipment, sharp needle handling, and disposal protocols.
Did the training intervention lead to changes in actual practice?
While knowledge and attitude scores showed significant improvement, the study noted that actual waste management practices within the facilities did not change significantly due to systemic issues like lack of administrative support.
What role does hospital administration play in these findings?
The findings emphasize that technical training is insufficient without administrative commitment, including the allocation of budget, resources, and the enforcement of policies.
- Citation du texte
- Dr. Sushma Rudraswamy (Auteur), Dr. S. Naganandini (Auteur), Dr. Nagabhushana Doggalli (Auteur), 2010, Hospital Waste Management among the Staff of Dental Hospitals, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/215129
