Taiwanese healthcare providers’ attitudes regarding reprocessing and reuse of single-use devices

IF 3.4 3区医学 Q1 HEALTH POLICY & SERVICES

Health Policy and Technology Pub Date : 2025-02-01 DOI:10.1016/j.hlpt.2024.100969

Chiu-Hsiang Lee , Mohsen Saffari , Hsiu-Tzy Chiang , Jung-Sheng Chen , Jiun-Ting Wu , Wai Chuen Poon , Marc N. Potenza , Chung-Ying Lin

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives

Reusing medical single-use devices (SUDs) has been increasing worldwide. However, there is limited understanding regarding healthcare workers’ perceptions of SUD standards and regulations. The study examined knowledge of and attitudes towards SUDs in Taiwanese healthcare providers.

Methods

Overall, 900 healthcare providers from 20 cities/counties in Taiwan participated in a nationwide cross-sectional study. A questionnaire based on recommendations from the Infection Control Society of Taiwan was developed and it demonstrated good psychometric properties (Cronbach's alpha= 0.66-90). The questionnaire assessed SUD-related knowledge, opinions, institutional/administrative policies, quality control, and institutional safety procedures. Linear regression models investigated associations of SUD-related factors with participant characteristics.

Results

Although most participants (90 %) knew that unprocessed SUDs should not be reused and may threaten patients, approximately half supported SUD reuse and were confident that their institutions could reprocess SUDs. Almost all participants (>95 %) supported standard protocols for reprocessing of SUDs. Institution type (medical center vs. regional/district hospitals) and work experience related to views on SUD reuse/reprocessing (p<0.05).

Conclusions

Despite positive attitudes of Taiwanese healthcare workers toward SUD reprocessing/reuse, many did not have adequate knowledge regarding current standards/regulations in their worksite. Designing interventions to promote Taiwanese healthcare workers' awareness of the common regulations or guidelines related to SUDs reprocessing/reuse is suggested.

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来源期刊

Health Policy and Technology Medicine-Health Policy

CiteScore

9.20

自引率

3.30%

发文量

审稿时长

88 days

期刊介绍： Health Policy and Technology (HPT), is the official journal of the Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine (FPM), a cross-disciplinary journal, which focuses on past, present and future health policy and the role of technology in clinical and non-clinical national and international health environments. HPT provides a further excellent way for the FPM to continue to make important national and international contributions to development of policy and practice within medicine and related disciplines. The aim of HPT is to publish relevant, timely and accessible articles and commentaries to support policy-makers, health professionals, health technology providers, patient groups and academia interested in health policy and technology. Topics covered by HPT will include: - Health technology, including drug discovery, diagnostics, medicines, devices, therapeutic delivery and eHealth systems - Cross-national comparisons on health policy using evidence-based approaches - National studies on health policy to determine the outcomes of technology-driven initiatives - Cross-border eHealth including health tourism - The digital divide in mobility, access and affordability of healthcare - Health technology assessment (HTA) methods and tools for evaluating the effectiveness of clinical and non-clinical health technologies - Health and eHealth indicators and benchmarks (measure/metrics) for understanding the adoption and diffusion of health technologies - Health and eHealth models and frameworks to support policy-makers and other stakeholders in decision-making - Stakeholder engagement with health technologies (clinical and patient/citizen buy-in) - Regulation and health economics