Infection prevention and control program

Core Components

• Surveillance
  • Process measures, often requiring audits
  • Outcome measures, such as rates hospital-acquired infections
• Policies and procedures
• Compliance and accreditation
• Occupational health and safety
  • Includes requirement for annual influenza vaccination as a rerequisite of employment
• Education and training

Miscellaneous Components

• Hand hygeine program
• Routine practices and precautions program

Staffing Requirements

IPAC committee

• Membership must includes ICPs, IPAC physician, OHS representation, public health, environmental services representation, nursing and MD representatives, and management
• Can also include representatives from microbiology, ID, equipment processing, OR, epidemiology, and quality assurance

Infection Control Professional (ICP)

• In general, for an acute care facility, should have around 1 ICP per 100 occupied beds
  • This number can vary based on complexity of patient care

IPAC MD

• Must have available a physician trained in IPAC
• Sits on the committee and is available as-needed otherwise

Administrative Assistant

• Helps to coordinate the program

Guidelines & Resources

• Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion. Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee. Best Practices for Infection Prevention and Control Programs in All Health Care Settings, 3rd edition. Toronto, ON: Queen's Printer for Ontario; May 2012.
• Association for Professions in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC)
• Heymann D. Control of Communicable Diseases Manual. 20th edition. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association; 2008.
• American Academy of Pediatrics. Red Book: 2018-2021 Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases. 31st edition. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academny of Paediatrics; 2018.
• CDC Guidelines Library