Occupationally acquired infectious diseases among health care workers in Brazil: use of Internet tools to improve management, prevention, and surveillance.
BACKGROUND
Education is a major component of prevention strategies to reduce the risk of occupational transmission of bloodborne pathogens to health care personnel.


METHODS
This study describes the results of an Internet-based project, "Projeto Riscobiologico.org", for which the main objectives are to disseminate information in the Portuguese language about occupational exposures to bloodborne pathogens through a mailing list and Web site as well as to increase case reports of these events in Brazil.


RESULTS
The mailing list expanded quickly with a total of 2078 participants (from 337 different cities and all Brazilian states), and 5613 messages were exchanged over a 5-year period. Mean length of participation was almost 2 years (697 days). Most of the participants (74%) reported that they frequently manage occupational exposures. Nevertheless, results showed an important lack of basic knowledge regarding this issue. In contrast with the high participation in the mailing list, a small number of institutions started to participate in the voluntary surveillance system.


CONCLUSIONS
The Internet can be used as a tool to increase knowledge and improve practices in the prevention of occupational bloodborne pathogen exposures. In addition, it may represent a unique opportunity to implement a national surveillance system.
Rapparini
Cristiane
C
Infectious Diseases Service, Department of Preventive Medicine, Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. rapparini@riscobiologico.org
Feijó Barroso
Paulo
P
Saraceni
Valéria
V
Artioli Machado
Alcyone
A
Côrtes Fernandes
Guilherme
G
D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007255:Information Services; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000379:methods; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007802:Language; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011177:Postal Service; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance