An Infection Preventionist’s View of the Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections: Structure, Process, and Outcome

• Published in: Infection control and hospital epidemiology 2014-08, Vol.35 (8), p.961-963
• Main Author: Haas, Janet P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Commentary; Cross Infection - prevention & control; Epidemiology; Health care industry; Health care organizations; Health outcomes; Hospitals; Hospitals - standards; Humans; Infections; Literary criticism; Literature reviews; Nursing; Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care); Practice Guidelines as Topic; Recommendations; Writing processes
• ISSN: 0899-823X; 1559-6834
• DOI: 10.1086/677146

The set of articles included in the 2008 “A Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals” was groundbreaking because the articles distilled the latest information about 6 of the most pressing healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevention problems into a compelling framework, with guidance for immediate interventions. Further, they were all included as a supplement to the regular monthly issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology that could be kept neatly in healthcare professionals' offices for reference. Importantly, colleagues from all disciplines could access these articles online free of charge, along with patient educational material available in English, Spanish, and several additional languages. One central topic missing from the 2008 Compendium was hand hygiene, a cornerstone of infection prevention. The World Health Organization (WHO) Clean Care Is Safer Care initiative was then the focus for hand hygiene monitoring and improvement, and it was unclear at that point whether another guidance document on the topic would have provided additional useful information.