Health Education on Infection Prevention for Families of Hospitalized Patients: A Community Service Program
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Prestasianita Putri
Alfid Tri Afandi
Kholid Rosyidi Muhammad Nur
Dicky Endrian Kurniawan
Enggal Hadi Kurniyawan
Family members frequently remain at the bedside of hospitalized patients and may participate in basic care, food assistance, mobility support, and contact with the patient environment. Their infection-prevention practices therefore influence patient safety and the wider hospital environment. This community service program aimed to improve families’ knowledge and practical skills regarding infection prevention, particularly hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, environmental cleanliness, and appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE). The activity used health education, demonstration, return-demonstration, discussion, and bedside mentoring. A pretest-posttest evaluation was conducted among 30 family caregivers of hospitalized patients. The mean knowledge score increased from 58.7 before education to 86.3 after education. The proportion of participants achieving the predefined good-knowledge category increased from 26.7% to 90.0%. Practical observation also showed improvement in correct hand-rub/hand-washing technique and recognition of critical hand-hygiene moments. Participants reported that demonstration and direct feedback were more useful than lecture alone. A brief, family-centered infection-prevention education package can strengthen knowledge and practical skills among family caregivers. Integration of family education into routine hospital admission and bedside communication may support a safer care environment, although longer-term observation is needed to determine whether the observed improvement is sustained.
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