Healthcare workers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding standard precautions in low- and middle-income member states of the Pacific community: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND

Healthcare-associated infections are a significant burden in the Western Pacific Region, where diverse healthcare systems face challenges from emerging infectious diseases. Standard precautions form the basis of safe healthcare, and healthcare workers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices are critical to effective infection prevention. Evidence shows significant gaps in compliance, with rates varying across countries and settings. This scoping review aimed to map the evidence base, identify gaps, and inform policy and capacity-building initiatives for low- and middle-income Pacific Community member states.

METHODS

The review followed Arksey and O'Malley's framework and the PRISMA-ScR checklist. Searches were conducted in CINAHL, Web of Science, Ovid, PubMed, Scopus, Global Index Medicus, and the Cochrane Library, alongside grey literature sources with no date limiters.

RESULTS

Of 77 studies screened, two met the inclusion criteria. These were assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and mapped to the Theoretical Domains Framework. Relevant domains included skills and competence, beliefs about capabilities, environmental context and resources, social influences, and behavioural regulation.

CONCLUSION

This review highlights a critical lack of evidence on healthcare workers' Knowledge, Attitudes, and practices regarding standard precautions in the Pacific Community. Despite limited studies, findings emphasise the importance of education, organisational support, and targeted health system investment to strengthen infection prevention and control. The Theoretical Domains Framework provided a structured lens to identify behavioural determinants and barriers, reflecting challenges reported in other low-resource settings. Building contextually appropriate evidence is essential to inform tailored policy and capacity-building, particularly with the growing threats of emerging infectious diseases.