Awareness of hospital-acquired infections and hand hygiene practices among patients and public attendees at the radiology department

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), or nosocomial infections, occur within 48 hours of care or 30 days post-discharge. Affecting 1.7 million patients annually, HAIs cause over 98,000 deaths. Hand hygiene plays a vital role in transmission. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines infection control practices (ICP) as methods to reduce infection risks in healthcare settings through prevention and hygiene measures. A better understanding of patients' knowledge and attitudes enhances intervention effectiveness. However, limited research exists on patients’ education about ICP and their awareness of HAIs remains underexplored and insufficiently assessed. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the HAIs awareness level and hand hygiene practice’s level. Methods: 145 outpatients and visitors to the radiology department