Enhancing Healthcare Workers' Preparedness In Covid-19 Pandemic Response: Role of Pre-Pandemic Training Programmes on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed vulnerabilities in healthcare systems worldwide, emphasizing the importance of healthcare worker safety through adequate utilization of personal protective equipment (PPE). This study aims to assess the impact of pre-pandemic PPE training on the practices of frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan and provide insights into the effectiveness of such training programs for future initiatives. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the frontline healthcare workers against COVID-19 in Pakistan, utilizing an online structured questionnaire shared via WhatsApp and Facebook. Statistical analyses, including chi-square tests for proportion and logistic regression for the association while multi-logistic regression for potential confounders, were performed using SPSS version 22. Results: A total of 453 healthcare staff participated, with 68.9% (n=312) reporting no prior PPE training and 31.1% (n=141) having received training. Significant associations were found between prior training and healthcare group distribution (p=0.006), with doctors exhibiting the highest proportion of training 82 (37.61%), followed by nurses 50 (27.32%) and paramedics 9 (17.31%). The location also demonstrated a significant association (p=0.05), with Sind (48.00%) followed by Baluchistan (40.0%) reporting the highest proportions of prior training. Multi-logistic regression analysis identified paramedics as 0.26 times less likely to have received prior PPE training (Adjusted OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.10-0.65, p=0.01) compared to medical doctors. Healthcare workers in tertiary care hospitals were 0.46 times less likely to undergo PPE training (Adjusted OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.25-0.87,p=0.01) compared to those working at COVID-19 facilities/hospitals/quarantine centers. Conclusion: Our findings highlight that healthcare levels, type of healthcare, and doffing skills are important predictors of whether healthcare workers have taken prior training in PPE. These findings imply developing effective training programs for healthcare workers to ensure safety while providing care during pandemics like COVID-19.