Research Article
Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice in respect of Medical Waste Management among Healthcare Workers in Clinics
Table 4
The responses to the items relating to the respondents’ knowledge of MWM.
| | Knowledge of MWM | Doctors/dentists (n = 48), n (%) | Medical assistants/nurses (n = 213), n (%) | Medical receptionists (n = 63), n (%) | Others (n = 20), n (%) | Total |
| | (1) This is MW | | (1.1) expired medicine | | Correct | 35(72.9%) | 167(78.4%) | 50(79.4%) | 17(85.0%) | 269(78.2%) | | Incorrect | 13(27.1%) | 46(21.6%) | 13(20.6%) | 3(15.0%) | 75(21.8%) | | (1.2) Material contaminated with body fluids | | Correct | 48(100.0%) | 204(95.8%) | 59(93.7%) | 17(85.0%) | 328(95.3%) | | Incorrect | 0 (0.0%) | 9 (4.2%) | 4 (6.3%) | 3 (15.0%) | 16(4.7%) | | (1.3) vaccine container | | Correct | 43(89.6%) | 170(79.8%) | 50(79.4%) | 15(75.0%) | 278(80.8%) | | Incorrect | 5(10.4%) | 43(20.2%) | 13(20.6%) | 5(25.0%) | 66(19.2%) |
| | (2) Waste generated from healthcare activities is MW | | Correct | 44(91.7%) | 188(88.3%) | 51(81.0%) | 8(40.0%) | 291(84.6%) | | Incorrect | 4(8.3%) | 25(11.7%) | 12(19.0%) | 12(60.0%) | 53(15.4%) |
| | (3) MW should not be mixed with general waste | | Correct | 40(83.3%) | 193(90.6%) | 57(90.5%) | 15(75.0%) | 305(88.7%) | | Incorrect | 8(16.7%) | 20(9.4%) | 6(9.5%) | 5(25.0%) | 39(11.3%) |
| | (4) MW should be segregated immediately | | Correct | 48(100.0%) | 202(94.8%) | 57(90.5%) | 19(95.0%) | 326(94.8%) | | Incorrect | 0(0.0%) | 11(5.2%) | 6(9.5%) | 1(5.0%) | 18(5.2%) |
| | (5) The color coding for MW is red | | Correct | 46 (95.8%) | 206(96.7%) | 60(95.2%) | 20(100.0%) | 332 (96.5%) | | Incorrect | 2 (4.2%) | 7 (3.3%) | 3 (4.8%) | 0 (0.0%) | 12 (3.5%) |
| | (6) The color coding for general waste is black | | Correct | 48(100.0%) | 207(97.2%) | 61(96.8%) | 20(100.0%) | 336(97.7%) | | Incorrect | 0(0.0%) | 6(2.8%) | 2(3.2%) | 0(0.0%) | 8(2.3%) |
| | (7) Liquid MW should not be disposed into toilet bowl | | Correct | 46(95.8%) | 194(91.1%) | 58(92.1%) | 17(85.0%) | 315(91.6%) | | Incorrect | 2(4.2%) | 19(8.9%) | 5(7.9%) | 3(15.0%) | 29(8.4%) |
| | (8) Sharp MW should be separated from other wastes | | Correct | 41(85.4%) | 184(86.4%) | 52(82.5%) | 17(85.0%) | 294(85.5%) | | Incorrect | 7(14.6%) | 29(13.6%) | 11(17.5%) | 3(15.0%) | 50(14.5%) |
| | (9) MW should be put into a closed container | | Correct | 47(97.9%) | 207(97.2%) | 62(98.4%) | 20(100.0%) | 336(97.7%) | | Incorrect | 1(2.1%) | 6(2.8%) | 1(1.6%) | 0(0.0%) | 8(2.3%) |
| | (10) Sharp MW must be put into a hard container | | Correct | 47(97.9%) | 212(99.5%) | 63(100.0%) | 20(100.0%) | 342(99.4%) | | Incorrect | 1(2.1%) | 1(0.5%) | 0(0.0%) | 0(0.0%) | 2(0.6%) |
| | (11) MW container should be filled to no more than three-quarters full | | Correct | 40(83.3%) | 175(82.2%) | 57(90.5%) | 10(50.0%) | 282(82.0%) | | Incorrect | 8(16.7%) | 38(17.8%) | 6(9.5%) | 10(50.0%) | 62(18.0%) |
| | (12) MW container should be sealed every single day | | Correct | 33 (68.8%) | 162(76.1%) | 53(84.1%) | 14(70.0%) | 262(76.2%) | | Incorrect | 15 (31.2%) | 51(23.9%) | 10(15.9%) | 6(30.0%) | 82(23.8%) |
| | (13) There is no service for MW transportation from clinics to the final disposal destination | | Correct | 24 (50.0%) | 106 (49.8%) | 36 (57.1%) | 14 (70.0%) | 180 (52.3%) | | Incorrect | 24 (50.0%) | 107 (50.2%) | 27 (42.9%) | 6 (30.0%) | 164 (47.7%) |
| | (14) In Phuket, the final disposal of MW is the MW incinerator operated by Phuket municipality | | Correct | 26 (54.2%) | 81 (38.0%) | 24 (38.1%) | 6 (30.0%) | 137 (39.8%) | | Incorrect | 22 (45.8%) | 132 (62.0%) | 39 (61.9%) | 14 (70.0%) | 207 (60.2%) |
| | Categorization of the total scores from all 16 items | | High | 41 (85.4%) | 193(90.6%) | 57(90.5%) | 16(80.0%) | 308(89.5%) | | Medium | 6(12.5%) | 20(9.4%) | 6(9.5%) | 4(20.0%) | 36(10.5%) | | Low | 0(0.0%) | 0(0.0%) | 0(0.0%) | 0(0.0%) | 0(0.0%) |
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∗MWM: medical waste management; MW: medical waste.
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