Barriers to implementing infection prevention and control guidelines during crises: Experiences of health care professionals.

Background: Communicable disease crises can endanger the health care system and often require special guidelines. Understanding reasons for nonadherence to

Unstable condition involving an impending abrupt or significant change that requires urgent attention and action to protect life, assets, property or the environment.
 

read more

guidelines is needed to improve

Holistic management process that identifies potential impacts that threaten an organization and provides a framework for building resilience, with the capability for an effective response that safeguards the interests of the organization’s key interested parties, reputation, brand and value­creating activities, as well as effectively restoring operational capabilities.
Note 1 to entry: Crisis management also involves the management of preparedness, mitigation response, and continuity or recovery in the event of an incident, as well as management of the overall programme through training, rehearsals and reviews to ensure the preparedness, response and continuity plans stay current and up-to-date.

read more

. We identified and measured barriers and conditions for optimal adherence as perceived by 4 categories of health care professionals. Methods: In-depth interviews were performed (n = 26) to develop a questionnaire for a cross-sectional survey of microbiologists (100%

Actions taken during or immediately after a disaster in order to save lives, reduce health impacts, ensure public safety and meet the basic subsistence needs of the people affected.

read more

), infection preventionists (74% Actions taken during or immediately after a disaster in order to save lives, reduce health impacts, ensure public safety and meet the basic subsistence needs of the people affected.

read more

), public health physicians (96% response), and public health nurses (82% response). The groups were asked to appraise barriers encountered during 4 outbreaks (severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS], Clostridium difficile ribotype 027, rubella, and avian influenza) according to a 5-point Likert scale. When at least 33% of the participants responded strongly agree, agree, or rather agree than disagree,a barrier was defined as often experienced. The common (generic) barriers were included in a univariate and multivariate model. Barriers specific to the various groups were studied as well. Results: Crisis guidelines were found to have 4 generic barriers to adherence: (1) lack of imperative or precise wording, (2) lack of easily identifiable instructions specific to each profession, (3) lack of concrete performance targets, and (4) lack of timely and adequate guidance on personal protective equipment and other safety measures. The cross-sectional study also yielded profession-specific sets of often-experienced barriers. Conclusion: To improve adherence to crisis guidelines, the generic barriers should be addressed when developing guidelines, irrespective of the infectious agent. Profession-specific barriers require profession-specific strategies to change attitudes, ensure organizational facilities, and provide an adequate setting for Holistic management process that identifies potential impacts that threaten an organization and provides a framework for building resilience, with the capability for an effective response that safeguards the interests of the organization’s key interested parties, reputation, brand and value­creating activities, as well as effectively restoring operational capabilities. Note 1 to entry: Crisis management also involves the management of preparedness, mitigation response, and continuity or recovery in the event of an incident, as well as management of the overall programme through training, rehearsals and reviews to ensure the preparedness, response and continuity plans stay current and up-to-date.

read more

.