Infection control reduces the spread of infections, including resistant infections. Poor hospital infection control results in increased transmission of resistant nosocomial infections.
With support from the U.S. Agency for International Development, MSH/RPM Plus has collaborated with Harvard University to develop a standardized assessment approach for improving hospital infection control practices.
The approach combines assessment of existing hospital infection control practices using an infection control assessment tool (ICAT) and application of rapid cycle quality improvement (RCQI) methods. The ICAT contains: - 21 modules for self-assessing infection control practices in different areas of the hospital such as hand hygiene, general ward, injections, sterilization and disinfection, surgical areas, and waste management
- Five observation checklists
- A step-by-step manual for using the tool
The standardized assessment approach helps hospital staff to identify gaps in their infection control practices and develop appropriate, locally feasible changes to improve the gaps. The ICAT was first developed and field-tested in tertiary hospitals in the Philippines, and then adapted for low-resource hospitals and field-tested again in Uganda.
In early 2007, the South Africa National Department of Health and the Swaziland Ministry of Health and Social Welfare held ICAT implementation workshops in Pretoria and Mbabane respectively, in collaboration with RPM Plus.
At each workshop, representatives of infection control quality improvement teams from four pilot hospitals gained familiarity with the ICAT and RCQI methods, discussed and prioritized their local infection control problems, developed plans for implementing locally feasible solutions to address priority infection control problems in their hospitals, and determined a timeline for implementing the approach. Workshop participants thought that the ICAT is simple and user-friendly and can easily be adapted and implemented by in-country programs.
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