Knowledge and Perception on Surgical and Invasive Procedure Protocols among Final Year Medical Students and Interns in a University Affiliated Hospital in Jeddah

Abstract

Background: medical students and interns are exposed to training programs in the hospitals to enhance their knowledge, skills and attitudes in the different clinical situations. Their training should offer an opportunity to be aware of the safety protocols in each medical department so as to prevent the possibility of errors. Objective: this study aimed to determine the level of knowledge and perception of final year medical students and medical interns on surgical and invasive procedure protocols in a university affiliated hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods: this was a questionnaire was administered to final year medical students and interns of King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire consisted of two sections: demographic profile in addition to knowledge and perception on surgical and invasive procedure protocols. A total of 264 participants answered the researcher-administered questionnaire. Results: these results showed that there was a lack of knowledge on surgical and invasive protocols of the participants with a mean score of 65.68%, which represented their agreement to the 2009 World Health Organization guidelines for safe surgery. There was a significant association between the level of confidence of the participants and their ages and year levels (p-value <.05), but not with gender. All demographic factors investigated were significantly associated with participant’s belief on the importance of having knowledge on surgical and invasive protocols (p-value <.05). Conclusion: the results of this study call academic institutions to revisit their curriculum and training programs specifically on the area of surgery.