Applying the rules of image construction to graphical representation of infection prevention contextual data in a communicable format

Abstract

Antibiotic resistant infections are a serious threat for public health. Hospitals are accountable for preventing the infection transmission among patients. Situation awareness interface may improve healthcare workers’ awareness about daily aberrations in infection burden and risks associated with infection transmission and underuse of preventive interventions. This study attempted to apply the rules for image contraction to furnish large amount of the electronic health record epidemiological data into a single image that would reduce informational overload and increase infection prevention situational awareness in a distributed group of healthcare workers. This research postulated that contextualization of the infection prevention data may provide critical cues for decision-making and detecting situations when prevalence and variety of antibiotic-resistant carriers reach dangerous thresholds.