Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)
Information for Healthcare Providers
The North Carolina program to prevent healthcare-associated infections is part of a larger national effort led by the federal Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) .
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- Antibiotics Stewardship:
- Clinical Guides:
- CDC: 2007 Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings (PDF, 3.8MB) - Includes injection best practices.
- CDC: Healthcare-Associated Infections - Professional resources provided by the CDC include best practices, a policy toolkit, guides for specific healthcare settings, and information about the U.S. DHHS HAI Action Plan, surveillance systems, CDC Prevention Epicenters and HAI research strategy.
- APIC: Implementation Guides (by infection type) - Practical, evidence-based best practices for the elimination of specific infections. Each guide is designed for easy implementation and provides program interventions, surveillance methodology, and strategies for process improvement.
- CDC: Outpatient Infection Prevention Guide and Checklist - A new (2011), concise infection control guide and checklist specifically for healthcare providers in outpatient care settings such as endoscopy clinics, surgery centers, primary care offices, and pain management clinics.
- C. difficile:
- CRE (Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae):
- Injection Practices:
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- HAIs in North Carolina: Quarterly Reports for Healthcare Providers (Facts & Figures)
- Local Health Departments - The first line of contact for disease reporting and intervention.
- NC-SPICE - The Statewide Program for Infection Control and Epidemiology, or SPICE, is located at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Medicine. Funded by the State of North Carolina, SPICE is charged with investigating and controlling healthcare-associated infections (HAI) in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other medical facilities in the state. The program provides training, education and consultation to hospitals, long-term care facilities and other medical facilities to prevent and control HAI.
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- Be Antibiotics Aware: Smart Use, Best Care Campaign - North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has joined the Be Antibiotics Aware: Smart Use, Best Care Campaign to raise awareness among patients and healthcare providers about appropriate antibiotic use.
- Interfacility Transfer Communication: Phase 2 revisions (effective November 28, 2017) to the Medicare and Medicaid requirements for participation for long-term care facilities include interfacility communication requirements. Access the NC DPH Interfacility Transfer Form and instructions (PDF, 1MB).
- APIC: A Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals - A set of strategies published by the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) in partnership with APIC, the American Hospital Association, and The Joint Commission. The publication focuses on the six most common healthcare-associated infections: C. difficile, MRSA, central line-associated bloodstream infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia, catheter-associated urinary tract infections and surgical site infections.
- North Carolina Quality Center - (Formerly the North Carolina Center for Hospital Quality and Patient Safety) Created in 2004 by the North Carolina Hospital Association (NCHA), this organization provides educational, collaborative and performance measurement programs and services to N.C. hospitals and healthcare providers.
- SHEA: Guidelines & Resources - The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) provides evidence-based practical guidelines, white papers, and other resources on infection prevention and control for hospitals, long-term care centers, and other healthcare facilities. These documents are published for public download courtesy of SHEA and the University of Chicago Press. They may not be reproduced or used for commercial purposes without written permission from SHEA.
- APIC: Practice Resources - The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) provides position statements, definitions, construction issues, environmental services, healthcare worker best practices, drug-resistant organisms, and surveillance tools and practices for different healthcare environments.
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: Healthcare-Associated Infections - Links to information, tools, and resources on healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). AHRQ-funded research and initiatives to reduce HAIs are also highlighted.
- APIC: Healthcare-Associated Infections Elimination Library - Developed by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) and HealthStream, the Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) Elimination Library consists of six courses designed to educate healthcare workers on the appropriate precautions and guidelines to prevent the transmission of infections. Each course has a 30-minute version that is applicable for all healthcare professionals as well as an hour-long version that is approved for one contact hour of continuing nursing education (CNE).
- NC DHHS: HAI-Related Organizations & Websites
- NC DHHS: Injection Safety
- One and Only Campaign - North Carolina-specific materials and activities related to the One and Only Campaign (CDC/SIPC) to raise awareness among patients and healthcare providers about safe injection practices.
- CDC Toolkit: Guidance for Control of Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) - Algorithms, sample documents and forms, and regional and facility-level strategies.
- CDC: Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) - Recommendations from the federal advisory committee for preventing and controlling healthcare-associated infections in the form of guidelines, resolutions and informal communications.
- APIC: Infection Prevention Education - Includes links to live education, online education, certification, APIC calendar of events, the APIC text, a professional learning path, free educational brochures, and the APIC bookstore.
- SHEA: Key References for Preventing HAI - A printable list of publications, websites and patient guides.
- APIC: "Partnering to Heal: Teaming Up Against HAIs" - A computer-based, interactive learning tool developed by U.S. HHS and APIC for clinicians, health professional students and patient advocates. A user assumes the role one of five characters – a physician and hospital administrator, a registered nurse, an infection preventionist, a patient family member or a third-year medical student – and is able to see the outcomes of decisions they make that impact infection health risks. The training is designed and developed for use by groups in facilitated training sessions and by individuals as a self-paced learning tool.
- IDSA: Standards, Practice Guidelines, and Statements Developed and/or Endorsed by IDSA - The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) provides clinical practice guidelines for antimicrobial use, infections by organ system, infections by organism, immunization, and general infection prevention.
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