Abstract :
OBJECTIVES: In 1999 and 2004, the New York State (NYS) Department of Health conducted a survey of acute care hospital (ACH) infection control program resources and responsibilities.
METHODS: Surveys were mailed (hard copy in 1999, and electronic version in 2004) to the infection control department of all ACHs. The surveys were designed to assess infection control (IC) staffing, IC support services, interaction in other hospital programs, and routine surveillance activities.
RESULTS: The response rate was 202/255 (79%) in 1999, and 167/234 (71%) in 2004. In 1999 and 2004, the average infection control professional (ICP) covered the following facilities and services:
n/a = not available.
In 2004, IC programs were most frequently integrated into the quality assurance program (32%), followed by nursing (29%), administration (14%), infectious disease (5%), internal medicine (4%), laboratory (1%), or other/unknown (14%). In 2004, only 57% had some secretarial support and for those with secretarial support, the average was 0.7 full-time employees (FTEs); 96% had a personal computer, 99% had Internet access, 86% had a fax, 53% had access to partial or complete electronic medical records, 93% computerized laboratory records, and 86% computerized radiology records. ICPs had some responsibility for employee/occupational health (68%), central supply (52%), staff education (73%), risk management (45%), emergency/BT preparedness (70%) and quality assurance (55%). Routine surveillance activities included bloodstream infections (57% total house, 40% targeted), surgical site infections (51% total house, 44% targeted), pneumonias (36% total house, 57% targeted) and urinary tract infections (28% total house, 41% targeted).
CONCLUSIONS: Infection control resources cannot be accurately described or allocated solely on the basis of acute care beds. This survey revealed that the average ICP has responsibilities covering a broad array of facilities, services, and roles.
