American Journal of Infection Control: Science Into Practice

Latest Episodes:

#23 Reporting Device-Related Infections – Healthcare Workers' Perspective Jun 01, 2023

Show notes

Concerns and frustrations about inconsistencies with the public reporting of device-related healthcare associated infections: Perspectives of hospital leaders and staff.

With special guest:

Sarah MacEwan PhD, Ohio State University

#22 Weighing the Connection Between a Patient Safety Climate and Infection Prevention Practices. May 04, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Drs Hessels and Larson describe how a positive patient safety climate contributes to improved adherence to infection prevention and control practices. This study produced findings not previously published thus advancing the state of the science in patient and occupational health and safety and infection prevention and control. These include identifying modifiable features of the safety climate and key organizational characteristics associated with better outcomes.

With special guests:

Amanda Hessels PhD RN CIC Assistant Professor at Columbia University, School of Nursing and a Nurse Scientist at Hackensack Meridian Health
Elaine Larson, RN, PhD, FAAN, CIC Professor Emerita, School of Nursing and Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, and Senior Scholar in Residence, New York Academy of Medicine

#21 A Novel Way To Decrease the Amount of Inappropriate Urine Cultures Ordered Apr 06, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Drs Krouss and Cho describe an intervention they did to decrease the amount of inappropriate urine cultures being ordered. They share with our audience how unnecessary urine cultures can lead to overdiagnosis and overtreatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria. Their novel approach to fixing the problem consists of a change to the ordering screen in the electronic medical record which requires entry of the reason for the urine cultures and a Best Practice Advisory (BPA) that appears when urine cultures are ordered for a patient. Their intervention resulted in significant decrease of unnecessary urine cultures. Tune in to this must hear episode!

With special guests:

Mona Krouss, MD Assistant Vice President for Value & Patient Safety for NYC Health + Hospitals and Harry (Hyung Jin) Cho Vice President of Quality at Brigham and Women's Hospital and faculty at Harvard School of Medicine

#20 Utilizing Creativity To Make a Hand Hygiene Observer Program Effective Mar 02, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, our guest Ms. Wilson shares with us success and the key components of a robust hand hygiene observer training program using the 5 Moments. Ms. Wilson breaks down the importance of feedback, asking questions, improving communication skills and strategies to make an effective hand hygiene program affordable.

With special guest:

Kimberly B. Wilson, MPH Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

#19 Factors That Influence Depression, Anxiety, and Burnout: Workplace Wellness Support Makes a Difference for Infection Preventionists. Feb 02, 2023

Show notes

COVID-19 added stress to infection preventionists resulting in anxiety, depression and burnout in their work lives that may have impacted their well-being. In this podcast episode, Dr. Melnyk speaks about infection preventionists' mental and physical health and lifestyle behaviors during the pandemic and their associations with perceived worksite wellness support, shift length, and race and/or ethnicity.

With special guest:

Bernadette Melnyk PhD, APRN-CNP, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN, Ohio State University Vice President for Health Promotion, University Chief Wellness Officer, Dean and Helene Fuld Health Trust Professor of Evidence-Based Practice, College of Nursing

#18 Does C. Diff (Also Known As Clostridioides Difficile or C. Difficile) in Previous Room Occupants Predict C. Diff in Subsequent Room Occupants? Jan 05, 2023

Show notes

In this study Dr. Sood and colleagues explore if the risk of a patient getting Clostridioides difficile Infection (CDI) is higher if the room was previously occupied by a C. diff patient. Previous single-center studies suggest that exposure to a room previously occupied by a patient with C. diff infection (CDI) may increase the risk of C. diff infection in subsequent patients. Dr. Sood and colleagues evaluated the risk of previous room occupant on CDI risk across 5 adult hospitals.

With special guest:

Geetika Sood, MD ScM Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Hospital Epidemiologist and Assistant Professor- John Hopkins Baltimore Medical Center and Health Service Researcher – JHHS

#17 Exploring Infection Preventionist (IP) Roles in Non-Acute Care Settings Nov 08, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Cervantes speaks on how she and her colleagues did a cross-sectional study using data derived from the 2020 APIC MegaSurvey to describe the state of infection prevention and control programs and personnel across nonacute clinical settings in the United States. Listen in as Dr. Cervantes tells us what the findings from this work means for the field of infection prevention and control.

With special guest:

Diana Cervantes, MS, MPH DrPH

#16 Did You Clean Your Hands Correctly? Using Thermal Imaging as an Innovative Way To Assess Hand Hygiene Technique. Nov 03, 2022

Show notes

John Boyce, MD, a renowned infectious disease specialist and hospital epidemiologist and colleague Richard Martinello, MD a medical director of infection prevention devised an innovative method to assess how well HCPs perform hand hygiene using portable thermal imaging. Check out how they were able to better examine hand hygiene technique.

With special guests:

John Boyce, MD President at J.M. Boyce Consulting LLC and Richard A. Martinello, MD, Medical Director of Infection Prevention, Yale School of Medicine

#15 Let's Talk About Keeping Healthcare Linens Clean Oct 06, 2022

Show notes

Join our hosts Jessie Swain and Nicki Shorr as they talk with Dr. Janet Glowicz, a Senior Infection Preventionist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion on pragmatic suggestions to improve safe handling of laundered healthcare textiles. This practice forum is based on multiple outbreak reports over the last decade and observations of practices CDC has made during responses.

With special guests:

Janet Glowicz, Senior Infection Preventionist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion

#14 Let's Talk About Improving Duodenoscope Reprocessing Sep 01, 2022

Show notes

Join our host Jessie Swain as she talks with Erin Sparnon, a member of the team at ECRI that surveyed sterile processing staff to learn about human factors issues in the cleaning process and share best practices.

With special guest:

Erin Sparnon MEng

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