SARS Risk Perceptions in Healthcare Workers, Japan

SARS Risk Perceptions in Healthcare Workers, Japan

Teppei Imai, Ken Takahashi, Tsutomu Hoshuyama, Naoki Hasegawa, Meng-Kin Lim, David Koh

In coping with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), infection control measures are a key aspect of protecting healthcare workers. We conducted a survey concerning perception of risk and countermeasures for SARS in 7 tertiary hospitals in Japan from July through September 2003, immediately after the SARS epidemic in neighboring countries. Based on 7,282 respondents out of 9,978 questionnaires administered, we found the perception of risk to be relatively high and the perception of countermeasures at the institutional level to be relatively low. Knowledge of preventive measures, concept of (opinions regarding) institutional measures, and perception of risk differed substantially among the 3 job categories, notably between physicians and nurses. The concept of institutional measures was the most important predictor of individual perception of risk. In view of the potential for future epidemics, planning and implementing institutional measures should be given a high priority.

2005

SARS, Occupational Health, Health personnel, infection control, Questionnaires, Epidemiology

DOI: 10.3201/eid1103.040631

Emerging Infectious Diseases

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Infectious and parasitic diseases, Medicine

EN