The Level of Knowledge, Attitude, and Performance of Healthcare Personnel in COVID-19 Hospitals Regarding the Use of Respiratory Protection Equipment

The present study was performed to investigate the level of knowledge, attitude, and performance of healthcare personnel working in COVID-19 hospitals in Mashhad regarding the use of respiratory protection equipment.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 536 personnel working in hospitals admitting COVID-19 patients in Mashhad, Iran. The participants completed a questionnaire containing data related to the knowledge, attitude, and performance of healthcare workers regarding the use of respiratory protection equipment.

According to the results, the evaluated knowledge levels were weak (1.1%), moderate (32.7%), and good (66.2%). Moreover, the levels of attitude were moderate (7.9%) and good (92.1%). In addition, the performance showed moderate (3.6%) and good (96.4%) levels. The mean score of knowledge was significantly higher among employees over 35 years of age (P<0.001), employees with 10 years or more work experience (P<0.001), and among males, compared to females (P<0.001). The mean score of performance was also significantly higher in males than in female employees (P<0.001), in married, compared to single employees (P<0.001), and among individuals who had close contact with a COVID-19 patient (P<0.001).

According to the results of the study, there was an acceptable level of knowledge, attitude, and performance among healthcare personnel working in the COVID-19 hospitals of Mashhad regarding the use of respiratory protection equipment. However, more training in this field seems useful, especially for people with less experience and age.