Background: Hospital-acquired infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) are a threat to patient safety and hospital economy. Training in hygiene precautions is known to limit MDRO spread and patient morbidity. As infection prevention is a collaborative task, we developed an interprofessional educational intervention, including a reflective unit about MDRO. This article reports on the perceptions of professionals for MDRO management.
Methods: In 2017, we conducted 8 trainings, including facilitated group discussions focusing on the question how participants think others experience MDRO. Results were analyzed using a socio-constructivist qualitative approach.
Results: A total of 51 health care workers from 13 professions and 5 hospitals participated, generating 366 items for coding. Three main themes could be identified: (1) significant barriers in educating clinicians and informing lay persons, (2) emotional reactions-especially anxiety and anger-from the perspective of lay persons and professionals evoked by MDRO, and (3) perceived economic burden.
Conclusions: MDROs generate psychosocial side effects with an impact on health care management and on professional-patient relationships and interprofessional relationships. Specifically, emotions evoked by insufficient information and transparency play a major role. Therefore, hygiene trainings must not be limited to basic skills. In addition, they should be comprised of communication and educational techniques and evoke attentiveness for emotional stress.
Keywords: Communication; Emotion; Information transfer; Interprofessional medical education; Qualitative research; Risk management.
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