Universal Protection: Operationalizing Infection Prevention Guidance in the COVID-19 Era.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare management
• Infection prevention and control
• Public health policy

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid adaptation of infection prevention strategies in healthcare facilities.
• Varied and evolving guidance presented significant challenges for staff adherence and compliance management.
• A coordinated approach was crucial for effectively managing infection prevention protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a structured infection prevention framework during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To establish a remote monitoring system for assessing compliance with infection prevention measures.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a bundled approach in a large healthcare system.

Main Methods:

• Development of the Universal Protection Framework, a four-domain bundle of core infection prevention practices, access control, distancing, and patient flow.
• Implementation of a remote monitoring program using report review and virtual observation via videoconferencing.
• Assessment of compliance across 46 survey domains at 15 healthcare facilities.

Main Results:

• High overall compliance (average 90%) with the Universal Protection Framework was achieved.
• Specific areas of high compliance included personal protective equipment distribution, patient cohorting, access controls, and employee exposure monitoring.
• Challenges were noted in maintaining compliance with social distancing and universal masking protocols.

Conclusions:

• A bundled infection prevention framework simplifies complex expectations and enhances implementation during health crises.
• Remote compliance monitoring is a feasible and effective strategy, with potential applications beyond the pandemic.
• The Universal Protection Framework offers a scalable model for infection prevention in healthcare settings.