The fight against hospital-acquired infections is multifaceted. We at PurThread are proud to be addressing an essential part of that fight: soft surface contamination. Hand washing protocols, maintenance procedures, error-avoidance checklists, and training each make substantive contributions to infection prevention and control. Proper preparation for dealing with infections in most healthcare facilities requires a well-designed and maintained infection control program. Without such a program, addressing infection control would seem like a game of whack-a-mole.

In this day and age, infection control programs are commonplace. However, preparedness for dealing with infectious diseases still varies widely. In “How Prepared are Hospitalists to Handle Infectious Disease Cases?” (The Hospitalist, April 2012) infectious disease physician Dr. Leland Allen describes how a comprehensive infection control program can overcome variations in hospital personnel training and help all staff address the specific types of infections that might be found at their institutions. The payoff is manifested by reduced infection rates and better support for staff physicians.

Resources for hospital and healthcare facility infection control program development and monitoring abound. Here are just a few:

Developing an Infection Control Program

CDC guidelines for infection control

8 Steps to Effective Hospital Infection Control Programs

What are the resources you found most helpful in designing your infection prevention and control program? And which components of your infection control program do you consider most critical?