ASSESSMENT OF DOCTORS' KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES REGARDING SAFE BLOOD TRANSFUSION AT NOWSHERA DHQ HOSPITAL AND QAZI HUSSAIN AHMED HOSPITAL: A DESCRIPTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Background: Safe blood transfusion is an essential component of quality healthcare. Inadequate knowledge and poor adherence to transfusion guidelines among doctors can lead to preventable transfusion-related complications and compromise patient safety. Limited evidence is available regarding doctors' knowledge and practices in secondary care hospitals of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 422 doctors working at DHQ Hospital Nowshera and Qazi Hussain Ahmed Hospital. Participants were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and an observational checklist adapted from validated instruments. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 26. Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) were used to summarize the data, while Pearson's correlation was applied to determine the relationship between knowledge and practice. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Of the 422 participants, 338 (80.1%) were female and 84 (19.9%) were male. Adequate knowledge regarding safe blood transfusion was observed among 194 (46.0%) doctors, while 165 (39.1%) had moderate knowledge and 63 (14.9%) had poor knowledge. Good transfusion practice was reported by 219 (51.9%) participants, whereas 203 (48.1%) demonstrated poor practice. A statistically significant moderate positive correlation was found between knowledge and practice (r = 0.46, p = 0.001). Conclusion: Doctors demonstrated moderate knowledge and only satisfactory transfusion practices. Regular competency-based training, continuous professional education, implementation of standardized transfusion protocols, and periodic clinical audits are recommended to enhance transfusion safety and improve patient outcomes.