Infection Disease & Health最新文献

{"title":"Country-level assessment of infection prevention and control in public hospitals in Peru","authors":"Martin Yagui ,&nbsp;Zenobia Quispe Pardo ,&nbsp;Jorge Terrazas ,&nbsp;Roger V. Araujo-Castillo","doi":"10.1016/j.idh.2025.10.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.idh.2025.10.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Health care-associated infections (HAIs) are a significant cause of morbidity in hospitals, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed weaknesses in infection prevention and control (IPC) programs. This study aimed to assess the implementation status of IPC programs in public hospitals in Peru during 2023.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study in 77 public hospitals in Peru that voluntarily completed the standardized “Infection Prevention and Control Assessment Framework” (IPCAF) developed by the World Health Organization. The instrument evaluates eight core components of IPC programs and classifies implementation levels as inadequate, basic, intermediate, or advanced based on scoring.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Among the hospitals, 49.4 % reached an intermediate IPC level, 27.3 % a basic level, 18.2 % an advanced level, and 5.2 % an inadequate level. The highest-scoring components were HAI surveillance (mean: 74.8) and built environment and equipment (69.6), while the lowest-performing components were multimodal strategies (43.1) and workload and staffing (44.7). Hospitals located in Metropolitan Lima and Callao consistently obtained higher scores than those in other regions of the country.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>IPC program implementation in public hospitals in Peru is heterogeneous, with notable gaps in key areas such as staffing, training, and intervention strategies. Strengthening IPC programs requires targeted funding, continuous training, and periodic evaluations to ensure sustained monitoring and improvement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45006,"journal":{"name":"Infection Disease & Health","volume":"31 2","pages":"Article 100396"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145558823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the efficacy of disinfectant agents and application times for vascular catheter needleless connector decontamination","authors":"Maryanne Kuek ,&nbsp;Sarah K. McLean ,&nbsp;Enzo A. Palombo ,&nbsp;Sharon Brownie ,&nbsp;Claire M. Rickard ,&nbsp;Nahid Choudhury","doi":"10.1016/j.idh.2025.09.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.idh.2025.09.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Needleless connectors (NCs) are attached to vascular catheters to provide an injectable closed circuit without risk of needlestick injuries but some have been associated with catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CABSIs), which increase treatment costs and hospital stays. Effective NC disinfection before catheter use is therefore critical. This study evaluated the efficacy of three disinfectant agents across varying decontamination durations and drying times.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>NC septa were inoculated with clinically isolated <em>Acinetobacter courvalinii</em> and <em>Staphylococcus hominis</em> from venous access devices (VAD) insertion sites and infusion tubing, then treated with either 70 % isopropyl alcohol (IPA), 2 % chlorhexidine gluconate in 70 % IPA (CHG-IPA) for 5, 10, or 15 s, or alcohol-impregnated antiseptic caps (AICs) for 5 min. Treatments were followed by drying times of 5, 10, or 15 s. Bacterial recovery was assessed via vortexing and sonication in Dey-Engley neutralising broth, followed by spread-plating on Tryptic Soy Agar and incubation at 37 °C. A total of 378 decontamination procedures were performed, with nine replicates per condition.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>All disinfectant treatments significantly reduced (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) bacterial counts compared to positive controls, achieving reductions of approximately 2.4–4.4 log CFU/mL. However, no statistically significant differences (<em>p</em> &gt; 0.05) were observed among disinfectant types, application durations, or drying times.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>NC disinfection proved essential in reducing bacterial counts. While no method proved superior, the study may have been underpowered for some comparisons and larger studies should further evaluate both CHG in IPA and AICs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45006,"journal":{"name":"Infection Disease & Health","volume":"31 2","pages":"Article 100392"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145350707","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Contact tracing and isolation of Carbapenemase producing Enterobacterales (CPE) in a tertiary referral hospital","authors":"Rebecca Sparks,&nbsp;Ruchir Chavada","doi":"10.1016/j.idh.2025.100406","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.idh.2025.100406","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Carbapenemase producing <em>Enterobacterales</em> (CPE) are an emerging cause of healthcare associated infection that pose a significant threat to public health. The Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC) have developed a guideline to assist with strategies to prevent, detect and contain CPE in healthcare facilities. We aimed to assess the compliance of contact screening as recommended by this guideline and determine the potential barriers leading to decreased compliance.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This is a retrospective cohort study conducted at a single tertiary referral centre from June 2022 to April 2024. We reviewed all cases where CPE was isolated from either clinical or infection control screening samples. Index cases and contacts (as defined by the CEC CPE guideline) were included in the study. Data collected contained whether appropriate contact CPE screening was performed, CPE transmission rates, and contact deisolation rate.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>There were 27 CPE index cases that triggered contact tracing investigation, with 140 case contacts requiring screening. There was one case with microbiological confirmation of CPE transmission. 53 (38 %) contacts completed all required CPE screening samples with 38/53 (71 %) achieving clearance from contact precautions. Patient discharge at the time of CPE laboratory confirmation was the primary reason for not achieving contact screening requirements. Time to laboratory confirmation of CPE and confirmation of CPE cases during non-business hours were contributing factor.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>CPE contact screening identified few additional cases in our cohort although rate of screening completion was low. Compliance with the guideline was poor when a patient was discharged from the facility.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45006,"journal":{"name":"Infection Disease & Health","volume":"31 2","pages":"Article 100406"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146021209","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transmission dynamics of HBV and HCV in dialysis centres: An overview of standard infection control practices and their efficacy","authors":"Saadiya Mushtaq,&nbsp;Khushbakht Alam,&nbsp;Raza Ullah Asif,&nbsp;Eijaz Ghani,&nbsp;Muhammad Ali Rathore,&nbsp;Farrukh Islam","doi":"10.1016/j.idh.2025.09.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.idh.2025.09.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) remain major risks in haemodialysis (HD) settings, where repeated vascular access and extracorporeal blood circuits create opportunities for viral transmission. This study evaluated the efficacy of existing infection control practices in HD centres by analysing environmental contamination before and after disinfection.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in two HD centres in Rawalpindi from September 2024 to December 2024). Twelve predefined surface types were sampled before and after disinfection using Dacron swabs placed in viral transport medium (VTM). Viral nucleic acids were extracted using the TANBead® Smart Extractor and amplified using Sacace® HBV/HCV Real-time PCR kits. Haemodialysis was performed using Fresenius® 4008B machines. Routine disinfection consisted of 1 % sodium hypochlorite applied with a 15-min contact time. Data were analysed in SPSS v27 (IBM®, USA). McNemar's test compared pre- and post-disinfection positivity while Wilcoxon signed-rank test compared paired Ct values. P &lt; 0.05 was considered statistically significant.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Twenty-four surface samples (12 surface types × 2 centres) were analysed. Pre-disinfection, 12/24 (50.0 %) surfaces were HBV-positive and 4/24 (16.7 %) were HCV-positive. Post-disinfection, HBV persisted on 10/24 (41.7 %) surfaces, while HCV was undetectable. Median HBV cycle threshold (Ct) value increased from 34.80 (IQR 7.20) pre-disinfection to 37.50 (IQR 7.38) post-disinfection (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p-value = 0.041), indicating a reduction in detectable viral nucleic acid that is statistically significant. The change in positivity by McNemar test was not statistically significant for HBV (p = 0.804) or HCV (p = 0.125). Notably, seven surfaces that were HBV-negative pre-disinfection became positive post-disinfection.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Routine disinfection with 1 % sodium hypochlorite (15-min contact) eliminated detectable HCV from environmental surfaces but did not fully eradicate HBV. The persistence and emergence of HBV contamination after disinfection highlight implementation gaps and possible cross-contamination events. HBV-specific reinforcement of infection control (dedicated equipment, strict cleaning sequence, staff training and audit, vaccination coverage) is recommended.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45006,"journal":{"name":"Infection Disease & Health","volume":"31 2","pages":"Article 100393"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145871237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Surgical bundle sustainability in caesarean section births: An integrative review","authors":"Bern Squires ,&nbsp;Thea van de Mortel ,&nbsp;Peta-Anne Zimmerman","doi":"10.1016/j.idh.2025.07.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.idh.2025.07.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Surgical site infection (SSI) rates for Australian patients undergoing caesarean section births (CS) range from 5 % to 9 %. As CS rates are increasing, it is imperative to identify effective measures to reduce SSIs. Surgical bundles are one strategy used to prevent infections in various surgical procedures.</div></div><div><h3>Aim</h3><div>To identify and discuss the evidence supporting the combination of individual surgical bundle practices in CS births that contribute to SSI reduction and how these surgical bundle practices are sustained.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>An integrative review was undertaken using articles from a systematic search of five research databases. The review examined studies that implemented or evaluated a surgical bundle for CSs.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Ten articles met the inclusion criteria. All reported SSI reductions post-intervention. Studies implementing four or fewer surgical bundle components demonstrated a larger reduction in infection rates and increased compliance compared to those with five or more components. Studies with shorter durations, prospective designs, and smaller sample sizes all reported a larger reduction in SSIs. Compliance was reported throughout the studies, but recommendations to achieve long-term sustainability were not supported by evidence.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This review identified a surgical bundle with four components that may reduce the SSI rate in CS births. Strategies to sustain evidence-based practices to reduce SSIs in CS have not been extensively studied. Future research should investigate factors that support compliance and track ongoing compliance with infection prevention surgical bundle elements, as well as their impact on SSI rates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45006,"journal":{"name":"Infection Disease & Health","volume":"31 1","pages":"Article 100381"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144860022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gloves off!: Environmental and financial impacts of an educational intervention to improve hand hygiene. A quality improvement study","authors":"Tina Wilkie-Miskin ,&nbsp;Mya Abigail Acosta ,&nbsp;Sarah Browning ,&nbsp;Kristen Pickles ,&nbsp;Sally Munnoch ,&nbsp;Patricia Knight ,&nbsp;Amy Bernotas ,&nbsp;Stanley Chen ,&nbsp;Rachel Ng ,&nbsp;Erin Mathieu ,&nbsp;the NSW Health Net Zero Clinical Leads Program","doi":"10.1016/j.idh.2025.07.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.idh.2025.07.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Non-sterile gloves are often used inappropriately in clinical care, with associated poorer hand hygiene, and financial and environmental waste.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This before and after study assessed the impact of an educational intervention on non-sterile glove use, hand hygiene compliance, knowledge and attitudes, and environmental and financial metrics. Participants were clinical staff working in two acute surgical wards of an adult tertiary referral hospital from May 2023 to March 2024. The intervention, ‘Gloves Off!’, was a multi-modal education intervention delivered during July–August 2023. The main outcome measures were: glove purchase numbers and associated carbon footprint, waste to landfill, financial cost; hand hygiene compliance and unnecessary glove use; staff hand hygiene knowledge and attitudes. Measures were taken at baseline, post-intervention, and seven-month follow-up.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Glove purchase numbers fell by an average of 6.9 gloves per occupied bed day after the intervention. The estimated monthly reduction of 13,020 gloves for two wards equates to reductions in carbon footprint of 443kgCO₂e, waste 44.8 kg and cost AUD$651. Hand hygiene compliance improved from 59 % (151/254) at baseline to 83 % (125/150) at follow-up and unnecessary use glove use fell from 60 % (152/252) at baseline to 23 % (13/56) at follow-up. Survey results showed that after education, staff demonstrated significant improvements in aspects of hand hygiene and glove use knowledge.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>A ‘Gloves Off!’ intervention was successful in improving glove use behaviour and staff hand hygiene, knowledge and attitudes as measured by observational audits, staff surveys, and glove purchase data. Significant cost, waste and carbon footprint reductions were achieved.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45006,"journal":{"name":"Infection Disease & Health","volume":"31 1","pages":"Article 100382"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144857256","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Magnitude and determinants of underreporting needlestick injuries among healthcare workers in a tertiary care hospital","authors":"Aiman El-Saed ,&nbsp;Fatmah Othman ,&nbsp;Sarah Al-Fayez ,&nbsp;Abdullah Turki Alotaibi ,&nbsp;Nada Wagit Alharthi ,&nbsp;Ryad Fahad Alamry ,&nbsp;Mohammed Khalaf Alharbi ,&nbsp;Hisham Yousef AlOuhali ,&nbsp;Ahmad Elsaed ,&nbsp;Rama M. Matalqah ,&nbsp;Majid M. Alshamrani","doi":"10.1016/j.idh.2025.08.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.idh.2025.08.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Needlestick injuries (NSIs) among healthcare workers (HCWs) represent a major occupational risk. While the underreporting of NSI is well-acknowledged, there are limited data on its magnitude. The objective was to estimate the incidence of NSIs and the degree of underreporting among HCWs and their influencing factors.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A cross-sectional study was carried out at a large tertiary care hospital. The study targeted clinical HCWs who were directly involved in patient care in different departments/units. Non-clinical HCWs and students/trainees were excluded. Data were collected using a structured online questionnaire that includes HCWs characteristics and injury information.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 529 HCWs were included. The mean age of HCWs was 35.0 ± 8.6 years. Most HCWs were females (76.6 %), nurses (69.8 %), and non-Saudi (61.9 %). A total of 158 (29.8 %) HCWs had at least one NSI event sometime during healthcare service, including 28 (5.3 %) during the last year. NSIs were highest in dental clinics (44.4 %), followed by surgical wards (38.8 %), ICUs (34.1 %), emergency unit (21.4 %), and non-surgical wards (18.2 %, <em>p</em> = 0.007). Out of those who had NSIs, 18.4 % did not report their event. Non-reporting was highest among physician and other HCWs (38.5 % each), followed by dentists (27.3 %), and lastly nurses (10.2 %). Additionally, non-reporting NSIs was significantly higher among Saudi HCWs and those who were unaware about protocol and methods of NSIs reporting.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The findings show a considerable underreporting of NSIs, especially among non-nursing professions. There is an urgent need to implement strategies that promote reporting practices, including awareness campaigns and efficient reporting systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45006,"journal":{"name":"Infection Disease & Health","volume":"31 1","pages":"Article 100386"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145058718","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The impact of different training methods on the hand hygiene beliefs and practices of future home caregivers: A randomized controlled trial","authors":"Banu Cihan Erdoğan ,&nbsp;Nevin Doğan ,&nbsp;Yağmur Betül Kalle","doi":"10.1016/j.idh.2025.05.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.idh.2025.05.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Hand hygiene is a fundamental infection control practice. Effective training methods are needed to improve students’ hand hygiene beliefs and behaviors, especially for future home caregivers.</div></div><div><h3>Aim</h3><div>This study evaluates the effects of different training methods on hand hygiene beliefs and practices of future home caregivers.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A randomized controlled trial<span> with pre-test and post-test evaluations was conducted in 2023 with first-year university students in Türkiye. Of 87 participants, 75 completed the study (video group: 25, paint demonstration: 25, soap demonstration: 25). All received theoretical training, followed by practical sessions: video demonstration, acrylic paint demonstration, or soap and water demonstration. Data was collected using demographic and knowledge forms, Hand Washing Skills Checklist, Hand Hygiene Belief Scale, and Hand Hygiene Practice Inventory.</span></div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>All groups showed significant improvement from pre-test to post-test (p &lt; 0.05). There was a significant difference in post-test Hand Hygiene Belief Scale mean scores among the groups; the Soap group (93.52) scored higher than the Video (90.24) and Paint (88.40) groups (H = 6.564, p = 0.038). Hand Washing Skills scores were highest in the soap group, followed by paint and video groups, but differences were not statistically significant (p &gt; 0.05).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Different training methods had similar effects on hand hygiene skills, though soap demonstration was more effective for beliefs. Various training approaches may be beneficial, but further research is needed to determine the most effective method.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45006,"journal":{"name":"Infection Disease & Health","volume":"31 1","pages":"Article 100376"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144319061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Validation of performance qualification of ultrasound probe high-level disinfection devices in clinical settings","authors":"David Bellamy ,&nbsp;Karen Vickery","doi":"10.1016/j.idh.2025.08.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.idh.2025.08.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>In accordance with AS5369:2023, disinfection processes need to undergo routine performance qualification (PQ) as part of in-field validation. Automated high-level disinfection (HLD) devices therefore need to undergo PQ. Responding to reports that some ultraviolet-C (UV-C) devices used for reprocessing of ultrasound transducers were failing to achieve sporicidal efficacy during routine PQ, we evaluated the sporicidal efficacy of these devices.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Sporicidal efficacy was assessed using commercially available stainless steel biological indicators (BIs) inoculated with 10⁶ <em>Geobacillus stearothermophilus</em> spores (ATCC® 7953). BIs were clamped in top and bottom positions inside the chambers of the devices [UV-C light-emitting diode (LED), UV-C lamp and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) mist]. All three devices were in clinical use. BI test conditions included packaged, unwrapped and non-flamed as well as unwrapped and flame sterilised on the clamped coupon end. Results were evaluated on a pass (no growth) or fail (growth) basis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The UV-C LED device failed to inactivate spores in all tested positions and conditions (n = 18). The UV-C lamp device passed 2/6 of the unwrapped and flamed tests but failed all other tests (n = 12). The H₂O₂ mist device passed all tests, inactivating spores for all conditions and chamber positions (n = 18).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The H₂O₂ mist device was the only device in this study that passed all tests, demonstrating sporicidal efficacy. Both UV-C devices failed to demonstrate sporicidal efficacy in this PQ study suggesting that clinicians need to monitor UV-C devices more frequently to ensure continued efficacy and patient safety.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45006,"journal":{"name":"Infection Disease & Health","volume":"31 1","pages":"Article 100387"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145093321","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Australian infection prevention and control governance, strategy and structure: Design for success","authors":"Kathy Dempsey ,&nbsp;Susan Jain ,&nbsp;Patricia Bradd ,&nbsp;Kate Clezy ,&nbsp;David Greenfield","doi":"10.1016/j.idh.2025.06.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.idh.2025.06.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Governance, strategy and organisational structure for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) programs across Australia remain variable. The standardisation and integration of these functions across jurisdictions are critical for effective advancement of IPC across health systems.</div></div><div><h3>Aim</h3><div>Across the Australian Federal, State and Territory jurisdictions, the study examined a twofold research question: first, what are the governance, strategy and organisational structures of IPC programs?; and second, what are the essential elements for a standardised, consistent IPC governance framework?</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Comprising four integrated steps: preconference document analysis of key jurisdictional program information; a survey of conference participants; open discussion - an expert panel of jurisdictional leads and conference participants; and expert panel review, incorporating mixed methods and a modified Delphi approach for consensus and validated guidance.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>IPC representatives across Australia participated in this study with 44 % (226/513) responses. Structures reported included: patient safety<span>, public health, or infectious diseases. Reported key elements for effective IPC governance included IPC leadership expertise (42 %), a consistent and transparent structure (30 %), and adequate resourcing and funding for IPC (18 %). IPC governance structures across Australia remain substantially variable. The Australian Centre for Disease Control (AusCDC) is considered the pre-eminent IPC governance agency, that could enhance IPC governance, structure and strategic direction.</span></div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Clear governance, strategy, and organisational structures have a critical role in the effectiveness of IPC programs and healthcare associated infection reduction strategies. The developed framework provides additional insight towards a comprehensive, standardised national IPC governance framework, offering opportunity for improvement and informing future priorities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45006,"journal":{"name":"Infection Disease & Health","volume":"31 1","pages":"Article 100378"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144556257","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}