Best Practice Resource Developed to Prevent Infections | ASHE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 4, 2018

CHICAGO – The American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have published best practices on using the health care physical environment to prevent infections. Using the Health Care Physical Environment to Prevent and Control Infection: A Best Practice Guide to Help Health Care Organizations Create Safe, Healing Environments contains best practices, case studies, resources and information based on key research. The book and associated Quick Guides can be used by health care facility managers, architects, designers, construction professionals, infection preventionists, and anyone else involved in designing, building, and operating health care facilities.

"This collaborative effort uses research to identify leading practices that other hospitals can adopt within their facilities to help keep patients safe," said ASHE Executive Director PJ Andrus, MBA, CAE.

The new guidance was produced by two groups within the AHA—the Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) and the American Society for Health Care Engineering—as part of a three-year CDC initiative to improve the implementation of infection prevention and control efforts in U.S. hospitals.

“This report brings much needed attention to the importance of a team approach to infection prevention that connects facility managers, environmental services departments, and clinicians. No one department is solely responsible for infection prevention and we're grateful we could partner with our colleagues to break down any remaining siloes that prevent collaboration among all team members, including patients and families,” stated Sue Collier, HRET interim vice president of clinical quality.

The document, available as a free PDF download, contains guidance on six key topics:

  • Infection Control Risk Assessments
  • Hand Hygiene Infrastructure
  • Reprocessing
  • Cleaning of Environmental Surfaces
  • Water-Related Environmental Infection Control
  • Flow of Patients, Personnel, Equipment and Waste

For more information or to download a free copy of the publication, visit  www.ashe.org/infectionprevention.

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About ASHE
The American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) is a professional membership group of the American Hospital Association. More than 12,000 members rely on ASHE as a critical source of professional development, information and advocacy, including representation on key issues that affect their work in the health care physical environment. For more information about ASHE, contact 312-422-3800 or visit ashe.org.

Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET)
Founded in 1944, the Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) is the not-for-profit research and education affiliate of the American Hospital Association (AHA). HRET’s mission is to transform health care through research and education. It focuses on identifying and exploring key issues affecting the health care delivery system. HRET’s applied research focuses on improving quality, eliminating disparities, improving care coordination, improving leadership and governance, conducting data analysis and supporting the spread of improvement. Through AHA’s Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence (HPOE) strategy, HRET has helped hospital leaders to accelerate performance improvement by disseminating best practices, producing actionable reports and toolkits, conducting leadership development programs and implementing national improvement projects. For more information, visit www.hret.org.

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
CDC works 24/7 protecting America’s health, safety and security. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, stem from human error or deliberate attack, CDC is committed to responding to America’s most pressing health challenges.