Engaging an interdisciplinary team during the design process
The infection prevention team plays a crucial role in minimizing risk to patients and staff in every healthcare organization. This team may include: infection preventionists, physicians, nursing staff, quality assurance personnel as well as microbiologists or epidemiologists (Figure 1). This team is not only part of the day-to-day quality and safety operations in a facility, but a crucial part of the design team. The diversity of perspectives allows for a greater understanding of the available research and evidence—key components in establishing the most appropriate design solutions to combat healthcare-associated infections. The overarching responsibilities of the infection prevention team are planning, evaluating, and updating trends, investigating and monitoring infections, developing protocols, educating staff members, and maintaining quality. This tool details each stakeholder’s role and responsibilities. Use this tool as a guide when building your own infection prevention team to ensure a common understanding of each team member’s contributions. Note that the number of team members and their roles may vary by project and organization size (for instance, in some organizations, one person may fill multiple roles).
Additional information can be found in the accompanying issue briefs on Contact Transmission (Part 1: The Role of Surfaces in HAIs and Part 2: The Role of Materials, Design, and Cleaning in HAIs).