Zarina Bee Nazeer
RN ICC Armed Forces Hospital
Saudi Arabia
Title: The Importance of Infection Control Risk Assessment in Healthcare Settings
Biography
Biography: Zarina Bee Nazeer
Abstract
Introduction
Patient Safety and Quality Patient Care is the ultimate goal of patient care in any healthcare facility. Infection Prevention and Control is the epicenter of Patient Care Delivery, therefore the Infection Control Programme in Healthcare Settings must include the IC Risk Assessment policy which must be proactively done to prevent infections and outbreaks, by assessing the potential risks which may disrupt the IC efforts.
Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA)
Infection Prevention and Control (PCI) Risk Assessment describes the Infection risks which is unique to the institution. This Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) will help the institution to assess the Complexity of the Risk identified and the possible actions to reduce the effects of the risk. The risk scoring will help determine the severity of the risk and the prioritization of each risk identified.
Risk assessment is an ongoing process because infection risk changes overtime and at times rapidly. An infection control risk assessment must consider different elements before establishing IPC policies and procedures, goals and objectives.
A written, hospital wide comprehensive risk assessment plan is essential in any healthcare organization because it is a first step in a systematic process to create and implement PCI Plan.
Infection Control Risk Assessment Plan
The Healthcare Accreditation bodies (viz. JCIA – Standard PCI.7) has included the ICRA as a requirement for written risk assessments documenting how the healthcare facility is prioritizing patient and healthcare worker safety.
The PCI Risk Assessment will be done by the Multidisciplinary Team members which may include representation from Infection Control , Environmental Health & Safety( EH&S) , Facilities & Engineering and Continuous Quality Improvement & Patient Safety (CQI&PS) . The Infection Control Committee members will review and approve the facility wide PCI Risk Assessment and the PCI programme Plan for the set year.