Role of full-time or full-time equivalent infection control practitioners in the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections: A questionnaire survey

Abstract

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are associated with longer hospitalization, poor outcome, and increasing costs. Therefore, prevention and control of HAIs are important in current healthcare facilities. Full-time or full-time equivalent infection control practitioners are expected to play an important role in the prevention and control of HAIs. Therefore, a questionnaire survey was conducted to evaluate differences in the prevention and control of HAIs, including Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), in the presence and absence of full-time or full-time equivalent infection control practitioners. This study was a part of the study, “Prevention measures and incidence of C. difficile-associated diarrhea among hospitalized patients in the National Hospital Organization (NHO),” and was conducted in the 47 facilities that had an infection control team among the 144 NHO facilities in Japan in August 2010. The total number of questionnaire items was 22, which were classified into 5 categories: the system of prevention and control of HAIs, the roles and responsibilities of the infection control team, compliance with standard precautions, environmental equipment, and CDI management. Of the 47 facilities, 26 (55.3%) had full-time or full-time equivalent infection control practitioners. Compared to facilities that had no full-time or full-time equivalent infection control practitioners, the facilities with these practitioners had consultations for prevention and control of HAIs, a reporting system for antibiotics, cleaning more than 5 days per a week in general wards, and patient and family education regarding CDI. This study suggests that the presence of full-time or full-time equivalent infection control practitioners is very important in the prevention and control of HAIs.