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Abstract

Micro-organisms aren’t stopped through the walls of any health care institution (HCI). An introduction can vary from both patients, clients, visitors, or healthcare workers. Since antimicrobial drug resistance (AMR) is recognized as a significant problem in combating infections in HCIs, especially in hospitals and nursing homes, there is an increasing discussion on how to organize infection control ‘through the barricades’ e.g. HCIs. Every hospital has their own Infection Prevention Practitioners (IPPs). They practice a good job of increasing hygiene and infection control in those settings, based on national guidelines and other evidence or best practice. Since there is increasing attention for infection control in other care institutions, IPPs are more involved in infection control policy in those institutes. Sometimes there is a (strong) link with a regional hospital, sometimes the job is done as a freelance IPP, and sometimes there is a contract with an IPP from the public health organization. While this is a good development, it’s sometimes remarkable that all those IPPs in all those hospitals and other HCIs are doing the same thing, and again developing the same procedures and protocols. This also seems to happen on Antibiotic Stewardship (AS) in hospitals. It’s like everyone in HCI is running their own race on infection control. But now it seems as we are likely to lose the race on AMR infections, the question isn’t if we should run another race, but how to perform this race: Organizing infection control through the barricades! Regional networks, with a new role for IPPs.

Biography

As ICP Paul Caesar has a broad experience in hygiene and infection control, mainly in hospitals but also in nursing homes and other care institutes. He is also an expert in Sterile Medical Devices and Reprocessing Flex Endoscopes. He participates in more nationwide and regional groups on infection control and is the guest lecturer on infection control in different kind of educational programs. He also was the initiator on a nationwide education programme for ICPs in hospital and public health.

E-mail: Paul.Caesar@tjongerschans.nl