Tori Whitacre Martonicz, MA

Federal court halts vaccine schedule changes, upholding evidence-based immunization practices. ICT reached out to key opinion leaders to find out their thoughts

Stethoscopes remain an overlooked vector for health care–associated infections. Infection prevention experts say inconsistent cleaning, workflow pressures, and cultural gaps contribute to contamination risks, especially for vulnerable patients such as those in oncology and emergency settings.

Lawmakers are pressing HHS to release a CDC study on reusable health care textiles and PPE. Industry leaders say reusable gowns and linens could strengthen supply chains, reduce waste, and protect health care workers during emergencies, but the report remains unpublished.

Cloud fax, combined with AI and NLP, is helping health systems transform unstructured documents into FHIR-ready data. Experts say modernized fax workflows can support interoperability, reduce data silos, and help rural and under-resourced providers participate in digital health initiatives.

At HIMSS26, one presentation discussed how health systems invest heavily in digital front doors, but patients often struggle to navigate campuses once they arrive. Experts say integrating digital wayfinding into healthcare apps can reduce missed appointments, improve patient experience, and support equity for vulnerable populations.

Fragmented systems make coordinated care difficult for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. A new interoperability model using the eLTSS standard connects healthcare providers and community organizations to share person-centered service plans and improve outcomes for vulnerable populations.

A new human factors study reveals the hidden complexity behind sterile processing. Research from the Medical University of South Carolina shows how sterile processing, operating rooms, and courier networks function as one interconnected system. Understanding “work as done” rather than “work as imagined” may be key to improving surgical safety and supporting frontline staff.

Dental assistants manage sterilization, infection control, and patient education—yet most states require zero formal training. They earn the lowest wages in dental offices. Meet Sherrie Busby's 42-year mission to secure standardized credentialing and fair recognition. (Audio podcast)

Dental assistants help bridge communication gaps between dentists and patients. Experts say patient education, follow-up conversations, and modern diagnostic tools are essential for helping individuals understand treatment recommendations and make informed oral health decisions.

Dental Assistants Recognition Week spotlights the critical role dental assistants play in infection prevention, patient safety, and instrument sterilization. From PPE adherence to surface disinfection and patient education, these professionals manage complex clinical and administrative tasks that protect both patients and dental teams in high-risk aerosol-generating environments. (Entire interview)

Infection prevention leaders share final takeaways on stethoscope hygiene and health care-associated infection prevention. From touch-free diaphragm barriers to accountability and culture change, the message is clear: We cannot “wash our way out” of contamination. Protecting immunocompromised and high-risk patients requires consistent, practical, barrier-based solutions at the bedside.

Infection prevention experts weigh in: What’s overhyped in stethoscope hygiene? Disposable scopes. What’s underrated? Real-time auditing, education, and barriers that prevent contamination. What’s non-negotiable? Accountability and a commitment to “do no harm.” Preventing health care-associated infections (HAIs) requires policy and demands practical, measurable action at the bedside.

Can leadership unintentionally sabotage infection prevention efforts? Experts say yes. Top-down mandates, lack of recognition, and checkbox adherence weaken real change. Sustainable infection prevention and control (IPC) requires collaboration, visibility, frontline input, and measurable monitoring. When leaders partner instead of dictate, adherence improves and IPC becomes culture, not paperwork.

Why do infection prevention policies fail? Experts say it’s rarely about knowledge and often about workflow. If protocols are complex, inconvenient, or lack end-user input, adherence drops. Simplicity, repetition, leadership support, and frontline engagement are what turn policy into sustained practice change in real clinical settings.

How do you prove stethoscope barriers reduce infections? Experts say tracking usage data, unit comparisons, contamination trends, and outbreak rates is key. Like hand hygiene monitoring, measurable adherence and outcome metrics determine real infection prevention and control value. Without monitoring and leadership follow-up, policy alone won’t drive meaningful change.

Infection prevention leaders weigh whether stethoscope barrier use should become formal policy. Success hinges on workflow integration, accessibility, infrastructure support, and shared accountability. Without proper placement, maintenance, and staff buy-in, even strong policies risk failure. Experts say convenience and operational planning determine whether adherence becomes reality.

Clinicians debate acoustic performance, cost, and compliance in stethoscope hygiene. Data show touch-free diaphragm barriers maintain sound quality while reducing contamination risk, unlike disposable stethoscopes, which may compromise diagnosis. Experts highlight workflow fit, proper placement, and eliminating misuse as keys to improving infection prevention in high-risk settings.

Experts discuss how touch-free stethoscope diaphragm barriers offer aseptic protection at the point of care. Unlike wipes, barriers prevent contamination rather than partially reducing it. Success depends on workflow integration, strategic placement, and hand hygiene alignment, making infection prevention practical in emergency departments, intensive care units, operating rooms, and outpatient settings.

After multiple central line infections, intensive care unit (ICU) leaders examined stethoscope hygiene and found major compliance gaps. Plastic sleeves failed, but diaphragm covers integrated into a bundled prevention strategy led to significant infection reduction. Their results, presented at NTI 2025 and forthcoming in Critical Care Nurse, highlight practical, point-of-care solutions.

New infection prevention technologies only work if staff and leadership truly adopt them. Experts highlight education, workflow alignment, leadership support, financial framing, and small measurable changes as keys to lasting implementation. Without buy-in and practical integration, even clinically validated tools risk becoming just another unused policy add-on.

Infection prevention experts warn that stethoscope hygiene remains inconsistent across emergency departments and high-volume outpatient settings. Research shows cleaning reduces bioburden but does not eliminate pathogens. Leaders argue stethoscopes should be treated like hands, with stronger accountability, barriers, and workflow-driven solutions to reduce health care-associated infection risk.

Infection prevention leaders discuss why stethoscope hygiene continues to “fall through the cracks” in health care settings. From emergency departments to outpatient care, experts warn that inconsistent cleaning makes stethoscopes a persistent source of health care-associated infection (HAI) risk and call for practical, evidence-based solutions.

Hospital-onset bacteremia is common in burn patients—and often tied to burn severity and surgical wound care, not lapses in quality. New data suggest that HOB may be a poor standalone quality metric for burn centers, raising questions about the fairness of benchmarking in value-based care.

A multicenter randomized trial of 276 patients with sepsis found that precision immunotherapy targeting immune dysfunction improved organ failure scores by day 9 compared with placebo. Although mortality differences were not statistically significant, the results suggest that biomarker-guided treatment strategies could help personalize sepsis care and improve clinical outcomes.

As her 2025 APIC presidency concludes, Carol McLay, DrPH, MPH, RN, CIC, FAPIC, FSHEA, discusses public health funding cuts, science advocacy, global partnerships, workforce development, and why infection preventionists must speak up. In this exclusive ICT interview, she shares lessons from a tumultuous year and her vision for strengthening the infection prevention profession worldwide.

As her 2025 APIC presidency concludes, Carol McLay, DrPH, MPH, RN, CIC, FAPIC, FSHEA, discusses public health funding cuts, science advocacy, global partnerships, workforce development, and why infection preventionists must speak up. In this exclusive ICT interview, she shares lessons from a tumultuous year and her vision for strengthening the infection prevention profession worldwide.

Before a disinfectant reaches a hospital unit, it undergoes rigorous laboratory testing, formulation science, and regulatory validation. In this ICT Q&A, Candice Taylor, MA, explains how R&D bridges lab efficacy with real-world health care workflow, antimicrobial resistance concerns, and the evolving future of infection prevention technology.