Building a successful infection prevention program: key components, processes, and economics

Evelyn Cook; Dror Marchaim; Keith S Kaye

doi:10.1016/j.idc.2010.11.007

Building a successful infection prevention program: key components, processes, and economics

Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2011 Mar;25(1):1-19. doi: 10.1016/j.idc.2010.11.007.

Authors

Evelyn Cook¹, Dror Marchaim, Keith S Kaye

Affiliation

¹ Department of Medicine, Duke Infection Control Outreach Network, Durham, NC, USA. [email protected]

PMID: 21315992
DOI: 10.1016/j.idc.2010.11.007

Abstract

Infection control is the discipline responsible for preventing nosocomial infections. There has been an increasing focus on prevention rather than control of hospital-acquired infections. Individuals working in infection control have seen their titles change from infection control practitioner to infection control professional and most recently to infection preventionist (IP), emphasizing their critical role in protecting patients. The responsibilities of IPs span multiple disciplines including medicine, surgery, nursing, occupational health, microbiology, pharmacy, sterilization and disinfection, emergency medicine, and information technology. This article discusses the structure and responsibilities of an infection control program and the regulatory pressures and opportunities the program faces.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Cost-Benefit Analysis
Cross Infection / economics*
Cross Infection / prevention & control*
Disease Outbreaks / prevention & control
Hospitals*
Humans
Infection Control* / economics
Infection Control* / methods
Infection Control* / organization & administration
Risk Management