Effectiveness of education program on hospital waste management

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of Kuwait Infection Control Directorate educational program in improving knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of environmental service workers (ESWs) regarding the management of infectious and sharps waste. Design/methodology/approach An interventional educational pre-test/post-test study was conducted over seven months, on a sample of 102 ESWs in Farwaniya General Government Hospital, Kuwait. Educational sessions and practical training using the KAP approach were applied during the intervention phase. The KAP of the participants were assessed using a questionnaire and observation checklist in the pre- and post-intervention phases. Findings Improvement in all aspects of the KAP regarding infectious and sharps waste management was observed among the participants after implementation of the intervention, with a statistically significant difference between pre- and post-test results (p<0.01). Originality/value The applied multi-component educational program in the current study can be successfully implemented for ESWs in all government hospitals in Kuwait and other countries with similar settings.