Infection prevention and control (IPC) programs in hospitals continue to dramatically reduce the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). However, a recent point-prevalence survey found that on any given day, about 1 in 31 hospital patients have at least one HAI.
Hospitals need high-performing IPC programs given the transparency around Hospital-Acquired Conditions (HACs), which includes HAI rates through mandated public reporting, the prevalence of multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs), and the increasing demand for improved patient and financial outcomes.
In this guide, access key resources to build a high-performing and resilient infection prevention and control program including:
- The impact that infection prevention and control programs can have in HAI reduction, cost reduction, and patient outcomes
- The challenges that infection preventionists face with limiting time and resources
- Five attributes of a high-performing IP program include:
- Staff and education: dedicated resources to staffing and annual education in the basics of infection prevention
- Evidence-based policies and procedures: should include hand hygiene, care of invasive devices such as urinary catheters, sterilization and disinfection, and environmental cleaning. Specific guidelines for MDRO screening and isolation policies should be written and accessible to all staff.
- Real-time surveillance: surveillance of HAI outcomes and processes targeted at infection reduction should include established, timely feedback mechanisms and well-communicated metrics for success.
- Outbreak management: establish the endemic rate of sentinel organisms in the facility and monitor for adverse trends
- Antimicrobial stewardship: include an AMS component that monitors antimicrobial agent selection across the institution and tracks patterns of antimicrobial overuse as well as emerging resistance and bug/drug mismatching.
- The benefits of an electronic surveillance system and what to look for when considering surveillance systems to support IP efforts