Microbiology laboratories play an important role in epidemiology and infection control programs.
The pilot study examined the documentation, composition and organisation of infection control programs in two Australian health jurisdictions.
High-income countries with established infection control programs have demonstrated effective control of infection transmission in health care settings.
This is the first comprehensive examination of infection control programs in Canadian LTCFs in almost 20 years.
Surveillance activities have been considered of paramount importance for effective infection control programs in health care organizations.
The results may contribute to the evaluation of infection control programs and the development of effective strategies in these hospitals.
Although the program needs further refinement, our findings suggest that the implementation of education-based infection control programs is important for the optimal functioning of medical ICUs.
Over the last years, electronic surveillance systems (ESSs) for infection control programs have evolved rapidly and have led to a reduction of workload and thereby costs [1],[4] to improve efficiency, objectivity, and reproducibility of surveillance [5]-[7].
Tosh and McDonald suggested that infection control programs need to be reframed "to capitalize on the expanding understanding of the protective role of the microbiome" and "to preserve and reestablish a harmonious endogenous microbiome" (Tosh and McDonald, 2012).
Mathematical models of infectious diseases can provide important insight into our understanding of epidemiological processes, the course of infection within a host, the transmission dynamics in a host population, and formulation or implementation of infection control programs.
The development of models of the cost-effectiveness of infection control programs must be informed by valid estimates of the extra length of hospital stay due to healthcare-acquired infection (HAI).
