Research Article
Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice in respect of Medical Waste Management among Healthcare Workers in Clinics
Table 6
The answers to questions relating to the respondents’ practice in respect of MWM.
| | Practice in respect of MWM | Doctors/dentists (n = 48), n (%) | Medical assistants/nurses (n = 213), n (%) | Medical receptionists (n = 63), n (%) | Others (n = 20), n (%) | Total |
| | (1) How often do you separate MW from general waste? | | Always | 39 (81.3%) | 202(94.8%) | 58(92.1%) | 20(100.0%) | 319(92.7%) | | Sometimes | 2(4.2%) | 7(3.3%) | 3(4.7%) | 0(0.0%) | 12(3.5%) | | Never | 7(14.5%) | 4(1.9%) | 2(3.2%) | 0(0.0%) | 13(3.8%) |
| | (2) Do you put general waste into a black container and MW into a red container? | | Always | 36(75.0%) | 192(90.1%) | 51(81.0%) | 18(90.0%) | 297(86.3%) | | Sometimes | 4(8.3%) | 12(5.7%) | 6(9.5%) | 1(5.0%) | 23(6.7%) | | Never | 8(16.7%) | 9(4.2%) | 6(9.5%) | 1(5.0%) | 24(7.0%) |
| | (3) Do you wear rubber gloves during medical services? | | Always | 44(91.7%) | 204(95.8%) | 54(85.7%) | 20(100.0%) | 322(93.6%) | | Sometimes | 4(8.3%) | 7(3.3%) | 7(11.1%) | 0(0.0%) | 18(5.2%) | | Never | 0(0.0%) | 2(0.9%) | 2(3.2%) | 0(0.0%) | 4(1.2%) |
| | (4) Do you not put sharp MW into a red plastic bag? | | Always | 39(81.3%) | 171(80.3%) | 45(71.4%) | 19(95.0%) | 274(79.7%) | | Sometimes | 5(10.4%) | 10(4.7%) | 6(9.6%) | 0(0.0%) | 21(6.1%) | | Never | 4(8.3%) | 32(15.0%) | 12(19.0%) | 1(5.0%) | 49(14.2%) |
| | (5) Do you put sharp MW into a hard container? | | Always | 44(91.7%) | 205(96.3%) | 61(96.8%) | 19(95.0%) | 329(95.6%) | | Sometimes | 1(2.0%) | 5(2.3%) | 2(3.2%) | 0(0.0%) | 8(2.4%) | | Never | 3(6.3%) | 3(1.4%) | 0(0.0%) | 1(5.0%) | 7(2.0%) |
| | (6) Do you clean spills of liquid MW immediately with proper procedure? | | Always | 42(87.5%) | 194(91.1%) | 56(88.9%) | 17(85.0%) | 309(89.8%) | | Sometimes | 0(0.0%) | 7(3.3%) | 3(4.8%) | 0(0.0%) | 10(2.9%) | | Never | 6(12.5%) | 12(5.6%) | 4(6.3%) | 3(15.0%) | 25(7.3%) |
| | (7) Do you wear rubber glove when pick up trash that falls on the ground? | | Always | 46(95.8%) | 178(83.6%) | 51(81.0%) | 19(95.0%) | 294(85.5%) | | Sometimes | 2(4.2%) | 23(10.8%) | 9(14.2%) | 1(5.0%) | 35(10.1%) | | Never | 0(0.0%) | 12(5.6%) | 3(4.8%) | 0(0.0%) | 15(4.4%) |
| | (8) Do you wash your hands thoroughly after contact with MW, even if you had worn gloves? | | Always | 48(100.0%) | 202(94.8%) | 59(93.6%) | 20(100.0%) | 329(95.6%) | | Sometimes | 0(0.0%) | 4(1.9%) | 2(3.2%) | 0(0.0%) | 6(1.8%) | | Never | 0(0.0%) | 7(3.3%) | 2(3.2%) | 0(0.0%) | 9(2.6%) |
| | (9) Do you close and seal the MW bag when it is 1/3 to 2/3 full? | | Always | 18(37.5%) | 91(42.7%) | 26(41.3%) | 5(25.0%) | 140(40.7%) | | Sometimes | 17(35.4%) | 45(21.1%) | 13(20.6%) | 4(20.0%) | 79(23.0%) | | Never | 13(27.1%) | 77(36.2%) | 24(38.1%) | 11(55.0%) | 125(36.3%) |
| | (10) Do you not reuse the plastic bag for MW? | | Always | 28(58.3%) | 131(61.5%) | 41(65.1%) | 13(65.0%) | 213(61.9%) | | Sometimes | 13(27.1%) | 52(24.4%) | 14(22.2%) | 3(15.0%) | 82(23.8%) | | Never | 7(14.6%) | 30(14.1%) | 8(12.7%) | 4(20.0%) | 49(14.3%) |
| | (11) Do you collect MW and take it to a community garbage bin for transportation by Phuket Municipality? | | Always | 20(41.7%) | 96(45.1%) | 22(34.9%) | 8(40.0%) | 146(42.5%) | | Sometimes | 6(12.5%) | 25(11.7%) | 8(12.7%) | 1(5.0%) | 40(11.6%) | | Never | 22(45.8%) | 92(43.2%) | 33(52.4%) | 11(55.0%) | 158(45.9%) |
| | (12) Do you not flush liquid MW into toilet bowl? | | Always | 44(91.7%) | 179(84.0%) | 55(87.3%) | 19(95.0%) | 297(86.3%) | | Sometimes | 0(0.0%) | 10(4.7%) | 5(7.9%) | 1(5.0%) | 16(4.7%) | | Never | 4(8.3%) | 24(11.3%) | 3(4.8%) | 0(0.0%) | 31(9.0%) |
| | Categorization of the total score from all 12 questions | | High | 43(89.6%) | 197(92.5%) | 58(92.1%) | 19(95.0%) | 317(92.2%) | | Medium | 5(10.4%) | 16(7.5%) | 4(6.3%) | 1(5.0%) | 26(7.5%) | | Low | 0(0.0%) | 0(0.0%) | 1(1.6%) | 0(0.0%) | 1(0.3%) |
|
|
∗MWM: medical waste management, MW: medical waste.
|
