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Table 1 The structure of the Korean national IPC survey in comparison to WHO IPCAF

From: A nationwide survey on the implementation of infection prevention and control components in 1442 hospitals in the Republic of Korea: comparison to the WHO Infection Prevention and Control Assessment Framework (IPCAF)

WHO IPCAF (core component)

Questions in the Korean national IPC survey that correlate with indicators in each core component of the WHO IPCAF

Core component 1. IPC program (10 indicators)

Availability of an IPC team

Availability of an IPC committee

Availability of an IPC program

Availability of at least one full-time IPC professional or equivalenta

Membership of an IPC team (doctors, nurses, etc.)

Structure and operation of the IPC committee

Core component 2. IPC guidelines (8 indicators)

Availability of a guideline for: environmental cleaning, transmission-based precautions, disinfection and sterilization, antibiotic stewardship, etc

Core component 3. IPC education and training (10 indicators)

Availability of personnel to lead IPC training

Mode of IPC trainingb

Availability of ongoing education for IPC staff

Core component 4. Healthcare-associated infection surveillance (15 indicators)

Inclusion of HCAI surveillance in the IPC program

Availability of personnel responsible for HCAI surveillance

Prioritization of HCAI to be targeted for surveillance

Surveillance conducted for: Surgical site infections, device-associated infections, MDR pathogens, etc

Core component 5. Multimodal strategies for implementation of IPC interventions (5 indicators)

Inclusion of education and training in IPC programs

Discussions of system change (infrastructure, manpower, internal regulations, etc.)c

Core component 6. Monitoring/audit of IPC practices and feedback (8 indicators)

Availability of personnel to conduct monitoring/audit

Processes monitored: hand hygiene, intravascular catheter insertion, activities to prevent MDR pathogens, disinfection and sterilization

Core component 7. Workload, staffing and bed occupancy (8 indicators)

Staffing levels

Bed occupancy (spacing, one patient per bed, etc.)

Core component 8. Built environment, materials, and equipment for IPC at the facility level (17 indicators)

Availability of materials and supplies (personal protection equipment, disposable items, etc.)

Availability of isolation rooms

Availability of hand hygiene stations

  1. IPC infection prevention and control, WHO World Health Organization, IPCAF Infection Prevention and Control Assessment Framework, MDR multi-drug resistant, HCAI healthcare-associated infection
  2. aA nurse or doctor working full-time in IPC
  3. bUsing written information, oral instruction, e-learning, interactive training, etc.
  4. cHowever, in the Korean National Infection Prevention and Control survey, these questions were not addressed as a part of a “multimodal strategy” as defined in the WHO IPCAF, but as an independent indicator
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Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control

ISSN: 2047-2994

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