Can intersectional innovations reduce hospital infection?

Area of Science:

• Infection Control and Prevention
• Patient Safety
• Interdisciplinary Innovation

Background:

• Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) pose significant clinical and economic burdens globally.
• Despite progress, challenges persist in improving hand hygiene and reducing device-associated infections like catheter-associated urinary tract infections.
• Current infection prevention strategies often rely on incremental, or directional, innovations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To advocate for the adoption of 'intersectional innovations' in healthcare infection prevention.
• To highlight the potential of integrating diverse disciplines to address persistent infection control challenges.
• To emphasize the need to move beyond traditional biomedical approaches for improved patient safety.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of innovation types in infection prevention.
• Exploration of interdisciplinary fields such as human factors engineering, sociology, and sensory engagement.
• Historical example of Professor Edward Joseph Lister Lowbury's interdisciplinary approach.

Main Results:

• Intersectional innovations, emerging from the convergence of disparate fields, offer a promising avenue for breakthrough discoveries.
• Human factors engineering, sociology, and sensory engagement are identified as key areas for impactful intersectional innovations.
• Integrating non-biomedical approaches can significantly enhance infection prevention efforts.

Conclusions:

• A shift towards intersectional innovation is crucial for advancing healthcare infection prevention.
• Embracing diverse disciplines can lead to novel solutions for complex patient safety issues.
• Interdisciplinary thinking, exemplified by figures like Lowbury, is essential for providing the highest standard of safe patient care.