Patient and provider perspectives on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a qualitative assessment of knowledge, beliefs, and behavior.

Hill JN, Evans CT, Cameron KA, Rogers TJ, Risa K, Kellie S, Richardson MS, Anderson V, Goldstein B, Guihan M. Patient and provider perspectives on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a qualitative assessment of knowledge, beliefs, and behavior. The journal of spinal cord medicine. 2013 Mar 1; 36(2):82-90.

Related HSR&D Project(s)

• RRP 09-125 – Development and Testing of MRSA educational materials for SCI

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Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a frequent cause of healthcare-associated infection. Individuals with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D) are at high risk of MRSA colonization and infection. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released guidelines to prevent the spread of MRSA in Veterans with SCI/D; however, available patient educational materials did not address the unique issues for this population. OBJECTIVE: To assess perceptions of SCI/D providers and Veterans with SCI/D regarding MRSA and their educational needs about MRSA prevention, with an ultimate goal of developing patient educational materials that address the issues unique to SCI/D. METHODS: Purposive samples of SCI/D providers (six groups) and Veterans with SCI/D (one group) at two VA facilities participated in 60-90-minute focus group sessions. Qualitative data were analyzed using latent content and constant comparative techniques to identify focal themes. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-three providers (physicians and nurses working in inpatient, outpatient, and homecare settings) and eight Veterans participated. RESULTS: Three overarching themes emerged from the analysis: knowledge about MRSA, hand hygiene, and barriers to educating Veterans with SCI/D. CONCLUSIONS: SCI/D providers and Veterans with SCI/D identified gaps in general MRSA knowledge, gaps in knowledge of good hand hygiene practices and of required frequency of hand hygiene, and barriers to educating Veterans with SCI/D during inpatient stays. Future educational materials and strategies should address these gaps.