Personal protective equipment and infection prevention and control: a national survey of UK medical students and interim foundation doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic

• Published in: Journal of Public Health Vol. 43; no. 1; pp. 67 - 75
• Main Authors: Norton, Emma Jane, Georgiou, Ioannis, Fung, Alex, Nazari, Armin, Bandyopadhyay, Soham, Saunders, Kate E A
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 12.04.2021
• Subjects: COVID-19 - prevention & control; COVID-19 - psychology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Education, Medical, Undergraduate; Female; Humans; Infection Control; Internship and Residency; Male; Original; Personal Protective Equipment; Students, Medical; Surveys and Questionnaires; United Kingdom; United Kingdom; COVID-19; coronavirus; interim foundation doctors; personal protective equipment; infection prevention and control; medical students
• ISSN: 1741-3842; 1741-3850
• DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdaa187

The adequacy of personal protective equipment (PPE) and infection prevention and control (IPC) training in UK medical students and interim Foundation Year 1 (FiY1) doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic is unknown, as is its impact on COVID-19-related anxiety. Cross-sectional, multi-centre study analysing self-reported adequacy of PPE and IPC training and correlation to a modified pandemic anxiety scale. Participants were current medical students and FiY1 doctors in the UK. Data were collected by an online survey. Participants reported that they received insufficient PPE information (43%) and IPC training (56%). Significantly, fewer participants identifying as women or BAME/mixed ethnicity reported receiving sufficient PPE information, compared with those identifying as men and White British/White Other, respectively. COVID-19-related anxiety was significantly higher in those without sufficient reported PPE or IPC training, in women compared with men, and in FiY1 doctors compared with medical students. With medical students currently volunteering in and imminently returning to hospitals in an educational capacity, levels of self-reported PPE and IPC training are sub-optimal. Better training is paramount to avoid harm to patients and healthcare professionals and to reduce COVID-19-related anxiety among medical students and FiY1 doctors.