ITS 96 - Hospital-based Infection Prevention Communication Site Utilizing a Web-based Application

Background: In a multi-hospital system serving four cities across two states, a need for easy access to infection prevention communication was identified. Hospital staff had access to infection prevention policies through the policy database, however these could be difficult to find and discouraging to read based on perceived complexity of interpreting the information. To help frontline caregivers a web-based application was used to develop an infection prevention information hub.

Methods: In 2021, a web-based application was utilized to develop a central location for infection prevention information to be available to hospital staff. The site included a chronological list of organisms and the required transmission-based precaution, duration of isolation, signage, and personal protective equipment (PPE). A quick response (QR) code was created to allow caregivers to utilize the website from smartphones.

Results: The web-based Infection Prevention site was completed, and education began December 2021. Infection Prevention provided education at a regional safety meeting, charge nurse meetings, and hospital infection prevention meetings. The education was added to new employee orientation to increase the visibility and accessibility of this tool. The tool is only accessible to internal users preventing students, residents, volunteers, etc. from accessing the website. Since implementation of the web-based infection prevention site, 606 unique viewers and a total of 6918 site visits.

Conclusions: This infection prevention website allowed the creation of the same information in a palatable format that was visually appealing and easily accessible.