2011 State of the Industry Digital Issue
In 2010, Infection Control Today introduced its first-ever State of the Industry Report, designed to provide a snapshot of the trends and issues facing ICT readers who work in five sectors: infection prevention, operating room, sterile processing, environmental services and materials management. We return with our second annual report for 2011, and as before, we acquired the data by conducting anonymous electronic polls of ICT subscribers. While the polls are unscientific in nature, we believe the results provide an intriguing look inside these departments and provoke dialogue about what is happening in the current economic climate. While results are fairly even year over year, the healthcare professionals who shared their experiences with us continue to report challenges relating to budgets, resourcing and workloads, as well as ongoing shortages in time, personnel and educational opportunities.
Here's a look at just some of the kind of data you'll see in the 2011 State of the Industry Report, only from ICT:
- Demographic data from practitioners, including length of work history, education level and professional credentials, department size, and facility geographic location
- Impact of staffing/resource/budget cuts
- Practitioner workload
- Professional society membership
- Participation in education and training activities
- Collaboration with hospital departments
- Perceived barriers to compliance
- Key industry issues to address
Broadening the Path: Diverse Educational Routes Into Infection Prevention Careers
July 4th 2025Once dominated by nurses, infection prevention now welcomes professionals from public health, lab science, and respiratory therapy—each bringing unique expertise that strengthens patient safety and IPC programs.
How Contaminated Is Your Stretcher? The Hidden Risks on Hospital Wheels
July 3rd 2025Despite routine disinfection, hospital surfaces, such as stretchers, remain reservoirs for harmful microbes, according to several recent studies. From high-touch areas to damaged mattresses and the effectiveness of antimicrobial coatings, researchers continue to uncover persistent risks in environmental hygiene, highlighting the critical need for innovative, continuous disinfection strategies in health care settings.
Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25
June 30th 2025Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.
