Dissertation of the Year Awardee: Eric Johansen, DHA

Dissertation Title: Cross-Contamination and Personal Protective Equipment:  A Qualitative e-Delphi Design

Program:  Doctor of Health Administration

Significance: Personal protective equipment is frontline healthcare workers’ first line of defense while caring for patients with an illness from an infectious organism. Donning and doffing of the equipment must follow a meticulous process to prevent cross-contamination and the spread of the organism. Unfortunately, the number of hospital-acquired infections continue, and the most recent spread of the COVID-19 virus has indicated that healthcare workers do not follow the process causing cross-contamination. This qualitative e-Delphi study, the health belief mode, aimed to identify administrative leaders’ perceptions of the barriers for healthcare workers to follow the process and identify possible strategies to improve compliance while reducing cross-contamination.