The Veterans Affairs North Texas Health Care System in Dallas prevented healthcare-associated infection rates from rising during the pandemic — and reduced burnout among infection prevention and control team members — through a 14-month initiative, according to a study published April 26 in the American Journal of Infection Control.
The findings suggest that proactive investment in preparedness initiatives can help health systems improve safety and maintain infection prevention work during infectious disease outbreaks.
The serious infectious threat response initiative, first developed in 2015, outlines special processes for communication and care of patients presenting with emerging pathogens. In 2020, the health system's infection prevention team tailored the initiative in response to the pandemic. Efforts included launching COVID-19 surveillance, exposure management and a 24/7 call service staffed by infection preventionists and a hospital epidemiologist.
"During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare facilities lacked essential infection prevention resources and information, and staff anxiety was incredibly high," study author Madhuri Sopirala, MD, director of infection prevention and control at the VA North Texas Health Care System, said in an April 27 news release."Our evaluation shows that the [system's] SITRI provided support and services that contributed meaningfully to patient safety and staff well-being during this time."
Compared to 2019, staff members reported lower levels of exhaustion and reduced achievement in 2020 and 2021. Rates of central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridioides difficile infections also decreased or stayed the same in the health system's acute care and long-term care settings.
The initiative ran from March 2020 to May 2021 and cost the system about $360,000 in overtime pay for infection prevention and control staff who oversaw the 24/7 support line.