Effectiveness of Infection Prevention and Control Training in Improving Cognitive Competence among Primary Healthcare Workers

Primary Healthcare Facilities (Fasilitas Kesehatan Tingkat Pertama, FKTP) represent the first level of contact in the healthcare system and play a central role in infection prevention and control. Despite mandatory Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) training in Indonesia, evidence regarding its effectiveness in improving cognitive abilities among primary healthcare workers remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of IPC training in enhancing the cognitive abilities of healthcare workers in FKTP. A quasi-experimental study with a one-group pretest–posttest design was conducted involving 91 healthcare workers who participated in IPC training across three cohorts in 2024. The training was delivered online through a Learning Management System and consisted of structured learning modules accompanied by a pre-test and a final quiz. Cognitive improvement was assessed using paired samples t-tests, while the magnitude of training impact was evaluated using Cohen’s dz effect size. The results showed statistically significant improvements in cognitive scores across all cohorts (p < 0.001), with mean score increases ranging from 16.10 to 23.35 points. Effect size analysis revealed large to very large effects, with an overall Cohen’s dz of 1.19, indicating substantial and practically meaningful cognitive gains. In conclusion, IPC training was effective in improving cognitive competence among FKTP healthcare workers. These results reinforce the value of well-structured training programs as an essential component of efforts to strengthen infection prevention capacity in primary healthcare settings.