Perceptions and attitudes of inpatients toward infection control measures in Erbil public hospitals

Background and objective: Infection control refers to the measures taken in hospitals and other healthcare facilities to limit and control infections. The primary purpose of infection control is to reduce infection rates. Inpatients must have a perception and attitude about healthcare-associated infections. The aim of this study was to determine the perceptions and attitudes of inpatients and their related factors regarding infection control measures in Erbil public hospitals. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in Erbil public hospitals from September 1st, 2021, to September 1st, 2022). It included 400 patients admitted for different reasons in Rizgary Teaching Hospital, Erbil Teaching Hospital, and Maternity Teaching Hospital. Data were collected during the period (December 15th, 2021) to (March 29th, 2022). Data was gathered through a direct interview using the questionnaire format. Results: The highest percentage of inpatients were females (67.8%), and 60.3% had sufficient income. A high number of inpatients (43.5%) were admitted to the Rizgary teaching hospital. More than half (52.5%) of the inpatients believed they would get an infection if admitted to the hospital. Concerning being aware of healthcare-associated infections, only 16.0% of inpatients were aware of healthcare-associated infections. Most (83.0%) of the inpatients thought that hand washing reduced the chance of infection. Conclusion: The present study indicated that the perceptions and attitudes of inpatients regarding infection control issues in hospitals are low; accordingly, more efforts are needed to empower patients about infection control measures in hospitals.