Performance of infection prevention and control programs in small hospitals

Area of Science:

• Healthcare quality improvement
• Infection prevention and control
• Hospital management

Background:

• Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) pose a significant risk in clinical settings.
• Effective prevention and control strategies are crucial for patient safety.
• Assessing compliance with established protocols is vital for identifying areas of weakness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the structural compliance of Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI) prevention and control processes.
• To identify specific areas of strength and weakness in HAI control measures within small hospitals.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted in small hospitals (≤70 beds) in São Paulo state from 2015-2016.
• Four validated indicators were assessed: program structure, operational guidelines, epidemiological surveillance, and prevention activities.
• Compliance was measured as an index (percentage of compliance).

Main Results:

• Fourteen hospitals participated; average compliance varied by indicator: Program structure (61.0%), Operational guidelines (84.5%), Epidemiological surveillance (57.9%), and Prevention activities (74.5%).
• Higher compliance was noted in private hospitals (73.9%) and those with intensive care units (90.3%).
• While nurses were assigned to programs (92.9%), only 23.1% of private institutions had dedicated six-hour shifts.

Conclusions:

• Only operational guidelines exceeded 90% median compliance among the evaluated hospitals.
• Epidemiological surveillance demonstrated the widest variation in compliance scores, indicating a critical area for improvement.
• Targeted interventions are needed to enhance HAI prevention and control, particularly in surveillance processes.