Health care-associated Clostridioides difficile infection: Learning the perspectives of health care workers to build successful strategies

Background: Clostridioides difficile (C difficile) is one of the most common health care-associated infections that negatively impact patient care and health care costs. This study takes a unique approach to C difficile infection (CDI) control by investigating key prevention obstacles through the perspectives of Stanford health care (SHC) frontline health care personnel.

Methods: An anonymous qualitative survey was distributed at SHC, focusing on knowledge and practice of CDI prevention guidelines, as well as education, communication, and perspectives regarding CDI at SHC.

Results: 112 survey responses were analyzed. Our findings unveiled gaps in personnel's knowledge of C difficile diagnostic guidelines and revealed a need for targeted communication and guideline-focused education. Health care staff shared preferences and recommendations, with the majority recommending enhanced communication of guidelines and information as a strategy for reducing CDI rates. The findings were then used to design and propose internal recommendations for SHC to mitigate the gaps found.

Discussion: Many guidelines and improvement strategies are based on strong scientific and medical foundations; however, it is important to ask whether these guidelines are effectively translated into practice. Frontline health care workers hold empirical perspectives that could be key in infection control.

Conclusions: Our findings emphasize the importance of including frontline health care personnel in infection prevention decision-making processes and the strategies presented here can be applied to mitigating infections in different health care settings.