The status of infection prevention and control structures in Eastern China based on the IPCAF tool of the World Health Organization

Abstract

Background: The burden of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and the spread of antimicrobial resistance can be potentially preventable through comprehensive infection prevention and control (IPC) programs. However, information on the current state of IPC implementation is rare in China. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Zhejiang province, China, from April to June 2021. The Zhejiang nosocomial infection control and quality improvement center (NICQI) cooperated with 11 municipal NICQI centers to introduce the purpose of this study and invite all licensed secondary and tertiary hospitals in Zhejiang province through WeChat group. The questionnaire had three sections, including information about participating hospitals, demographic information about IPs, and the Chinese version of the Infection Prevention and Control Assessment Framework that covered eight core components (CC). Results: Of the 382 hospitals invited, 222 (58.1% response rate) accepted and completed the online questionnaire. The overall median score of the participating hospitals was 682 (630–723), which corresponded to an advanced level of IPC. There was a significant difference in scores between hospitals types (P < 0.001). Profound differences were revealed regarding the scores of the individual components, with CC2 (IPC guidelines) and CC6 (Monitoring/audit of IPC practices and feedback) having the highest (100) and lowest (65) median scores, respectively. Only 23 (10.4%) hospitals reported assessing facility safety culture. Conclusions: IPC structures are at a relatively high level in acute care hospitals in Eastern China. The identified potential areas for improvement were similar to those identified in developed countries, particularly regarding multimodal strategies for implementation and safety culture construction. Meanwhile, the Chinese government should pay more attention to IPC resources and practices among secondary care hospitals.