Emergency departments (EDs) are often left out of infection prevention efforts, as they are seen as reaction-focused rather than prevention-oriented, according to an article on the Hospitals & Health Networks website.
However, some EDs are making a meaningful contribution to HAI prevention.
Fourteen EDs studied in the United States from 2011 to 2013 by a research team at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston are positive deviants among their peers in that they have deliberately chosen to address HAI reduction and prevention despite contextual challenges, the article said.
These sites may hold the secrets to helping healthcare facilities adopt guidelines to fit the emergency department.