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Ambulatory Surgery Centers
funding options for enlisting the services
of a dedicated infection preventionist.
For instance, some ASCs have
applied for state or
federal grants
aimed at improving patient safety and
infection control. Another option is partnering
with another healthcare organization
to share expertise and resources,
such as access to training programs or
infection control specialists.
Understand best practices
A truly effective, comprehensive infection
control plan is dynamic, with periodic
updates and reviews incorporating
new information and best practices.
Here are three essential elements:
* Risk assessment. Use standardized
tools to identify vulnerabilities and
measure the effectiveness of current
strategies. Resources such as
infection control software and CDC
risk assessment tools can streamline
data collection, monitoring, and
reporting.
* Process and compliance audits.
Regular compliance audits, guided
by standardized checklists, ensure
thorough evaluations and consistent
adherence to standards. Here is an
example:
Example of a simple infection
prevention audit checklist
General facility hygiene
❏ Are hand hygiene stations (soap, hand sanitizer)
available and accessible at all points of care?
❏ Are high-touch surfaces (eg, doorknobs, light
switches) cleaned and disinfected regularly?
❏ Is the facility free of clutter that could impede cleaning
efforts?
Hand hygiene
❏ Are staff members performing hand hygiene before
and after patient contact, and after removing
gloves?
❏ Are hand hygiene supplies (soap, hand sanitizer)
adequately stocked?
(Compliance checklist)
❏ Staff perform hand hygiene before patient contact
❏ Staff perform hand hygiene after patient contact
❏ Hand hygiene supplies are available and accessible
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
❏ Are staff members wearing appropriate PPE (gloves,
masks, gowns) as required?
❏ Is PPE disposed of properly after use?
❏ Are PPE supplies adequately stocked and accessible?
Sterilization
and disinfection
❏ Are surgical instruments properly sterilized before use?
❏ Are sterilization logs maintained and up-to-date?
❏ Are high-level disinfectants used according to manufacturer
instructions?
❏ Do all staff performing instrument reprocessing have
a current (within 12 months) competency evaluated
by a qualified assessor?
Environmental cleaning
❏ Are patient care areas cleaned and disinfected between
patients?
❏ Are OR cleaning protocols followed consistently?
❏ Are cleaning supplies and equipment properly maintained
and stored?
Waste management
❏ Is medical waste disposed of in designated containers?
❏ Are sharps disposed of in puncture-resistant containers?
❏
Are waste disposal areas clean and free of contamination?
Staff
training and competency
❏ Have all staff members received training on infection
prevention protocols?
❏ Are staff members knowledgeable about the facility's
infection control policies?
❏ Are competency assessments conducted regularly?
Monitoring and reporting
❏ Are infection rates monitored and reported regularly?
❏ Are incidents of non-compliance documented and
addressed?
❏ Is there a system in place for staff to report infection
control concerns?
Notes and observations
Date of audit:
Auditor name:
Observations:
Action items:
* A culture of continuous improvement.
Sharing audit results with staff is
one way to not only glean valuable
process-refining insights, but also to
encourage continued engagement in
enhancing infection control practices.
As a complement to feedback mechanisms,
staff recognition programs
can motivate adherence to protocols.
In addition to directly mitigating the
risk of infections, this feedback loop
helps promote a culture of safety
and quality. ORM
-Christy Newland is senior
director of clinical solutions
and delivery at STERIS.
References
CDC's Core Infection Prevention and
Control Practices for Safe Healthcare
Delivery in All Settings. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention.
April 12, 2024.
CDC/STRIVE Infection Control Training.
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. April 3, 2024.
Guide to infection prevention for outpatient
settings: Minimum expectations
for safe care (Version 2.3).
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. September, 2016.
Gupta A. Auditing in Healthcare: Ensuring
Compliance, Efficiency, and
Quality of Care. Gebbs Healthcare
Solutions. May 14, 2024.
Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel:
Infrastructure and Routine
Practices for Occupational Infection
Prevention and Control Services
(2019). Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC). April 12,
2024.
Popescu S. Infection Prevention: A Collaborative
Effort Among Patients,
HCPs, and Family Members. Infection
Control today. July 18, 2022.
Prior R. Latest Advancements in Infection
Prevention Technology.
Infection Control Today. August 24,
2022.
The CDC Field Epidemiology Manual,
Chapter 18: Healthcare Settings.
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. August 8, 2024.
Resources
Association for Professionals in Infection
Control and Epidemiology.
Training materials and certification
programs.
Health Research & Educational Trust.
nd. Infection control modules.
Infection Control Today. 2023.
Decision-support tools in infection control.
Retrieved from www.infectioncontroltoday.com.
8
OR
Manager | Mar/Apr 2025
www.ormanager.com

https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/core-practices/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/training/strive.html https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/media/pdfs/Outpatient-Guide-508.pdf https://gebbs.com/blog/auditing-in-healthcare-ensuring-compliance-efficiency-and-quality-of-care/ https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/healthcare-personnel-infrastructure-routine-practices/ https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/infection-prevention-collaborative-effort-among-patients-hcps-family-members https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/latest-advancements-in-infection-prevention-technology https://www.cdc.gov/field-epi-manual/php/chapters/healthcare-settings.html https://apic.org https://www.hret.org https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/ http://www.ormanager.com

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