Compliance With Health Security Protocols Among Medical Staff In Intensive Care Units: A Comprehensive Analysis

Abstract

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a very important concern within intensive care units (ICUs) due to vulnerable patient groups' susceptibility to infection. Compliance of healthcare workers (HCWs) with health security protocols, including infection control measures (ICMs), is essential for combating HAI dissemination and ensuring patient safety. In this comprehensive review, existing evidence on HCWs' compliance with health security protocols within ICUs is critically analyzed, assessing different intervention efficacy aimed at maximizing such compliance. A critical assessment of existing intervention studies indicates that multi-modal intervention strategies, focusing on education, feedback, simulation, and doables, portray greater effectiveness (23.6%) in optimizing compliance than education-focused strategies (16.13%) altogether. HAIs in ICUs are found to be prevalent from 9% to 51.4% across the world, and developing regions register three to five times more prevalence of HAIs than ICUs in developing settings. Important determinants of compliance include shortages of supplies, absence of uniform guidelines, inadequate training, shortages of knowledge regarding infection, and overload levels within ICUs. In this article, existing evidence from different settings within healthcare is synthesized, assessing effective measures for augmenting medical personnel compliance rates with respect to health security protocols. The analyses emphasize specific requirements for comprehensive, contextually modified intervention strategy addressing multiple determinants simultaneously. To reduce HAIs, healthcare settings must target multi-modal intervention strategy complemented by institutional commitment, effective allocation, and monitoring processes within critical care settings.