Question

Explain the importance of infection control programs in light of risk management support your claims with examples

Answer 1

The risk management is done to plan risk handling activities before any problems arise, so that the negative effects on the set goals can be reduced.So infection control program can be considered as a program of risk management.

Importance of Infection control program

• Infection control program make sure that the patients,families and the employees are guarded against diseases that are infectious by giving instructions and proper guidelines.Example - Hand washing
• It identifies the areas at risk,developing protocols and plans to get rid of or reduce risks.Example is needle stick injuries and infection control program includes safe disposal of used needles providing safe containers and training staff how to deal with the situation.
• It reduces the morbidity and mortality rates.Example-Infant and child mortality rates of 30.4% in 1990 in United states was reduced to 1.4% by 1997.
• It safeguards the health care personnel from infections.Example, immunisation.
• Infection control program studies the prevalence and incidence of a particular disease thereby reducing risk of infection.Example- SENIC study to prevent nosocomial infection in US hospitals