Impact of Training on Knowledge and Practices Regarding HIV/AIDs among Health Care Workers in a Tertiary Level Medical Institute of Delhi

Background: Knowledge in HIV/AIDS is still deficient even in Health Care Workers (HCW). Practices of standard precautions and biomedical waste disposal among the health care workers also have been found improper in studies. The study therefore was carried out at Lady Hardinge Medical College and associated Hospitals, one of the major Medical Institutes in Delhi to assess and improve the knowledge and practices of HCWs about HIV/AIDS.

Methods: Doctors (N = 86) and nursing professionals (N = 34) involved in patient care were given training by experts in the field of HIV regarding standard precaution and biomedical waste management. Their pre and post training level of knowledge and practices regarding HIV, standard precautions and biomedical waste disposal was evaluated.

Results & conclusion: The knowledge in many aspects of HIV and standard precaution was found inadequate both among doctors and nursing professionals though it improved considerably after training. Only 33% of doctors knew the correct interval for post exposure prophylaxis for HIV after getting exposed to HIV positive patient before the training. Only 29% of them initially had correct knowledge about the diagnostic test for HIV in a 4 month old child.