Infrastructure Requirements
• Active, effective, dedicated infection prevention and control program
• User-friendly information technology (IT) systems must be in place and capable of providing necessary records maintenance, patient surveillance activities, infection rate calculations, trending analysis, correlation comparisons and required alerts
• When multiple facilities are affiliated, IT systems should be integrated and compatible; or at a minimum produce comparable outputs based on standardized definitions and means of classification
• Personnel must be adequately trained for effective use of applicable IT programs
• Sufficient quantities of appropriate, quality supplies and devices strategically placed to ensure convenient compliance to best practices (e.g., “line carts” with all appropriate supplies and a procedure checklist increases compliance with best practices for aseptic central line placement; supplies readily available for donning prior to entering MRSA, VRE, C. difficile or any other contact isolation patient room increase PPE compliance)
• Resources available for providing documented education and training to healthcare personnel – addressing HAI-specific risk factors, frequent pathogens, consequences, means of transmission and prevention strategies are essential
• Educate at-risk patients, their families and visitors on their role in prevention and detection of HAIs presented at the right level in an understandable format including the appropriate language and font size for written materials (e.g. elderly patients in stressful situations need written instructions in large print as verbal explanations are often forgotten or remembered incorrectly)
• Adequate laboratory capability, and support with alert-communications systems are essential
• Best practice strategies have been most successful when incorporated into a bundled approach incorporating zero tolerance for failure to meet 100 percent compliance with each bundle component
• Conduct risk assessments to determine most vulnerable areas to be addressed and rank in priority order
• Run pilot protocols to identify gaps and correct problems