Nearly all (92 percent) infection control leaders believe their hospital is better prepared now than a year ago to handle highly infectious diseases like Ebola, according to results from an Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology survey.
However, more than half (55 percent) reported that the Ebola crisis did not spur their hospitals to provide more resources to infection prevention and control.
APIC polled 15,000 of its members for the survey. Respondents include 981 infection preventionists in acute care hospitals in the U.S.
The following are three additional findings from the survey:
1. Just 10 percent of respondents said their hospital added infection prevention personnel
2. Roughly a third (37 percent) said they received support for staff training programs on infection control measures
3. More than half (62 percent) reported they are still training staff on how to manage patients with Ebola
"With the ongoing threat of emerging infectious diseases and antibiotic-resistant organisms, we remain concerned that many facilities are lagging behind in providing adequate support to protect patients and healthcare workers," said Susan Dolan, RN, president-elect of APIC and a hospital epidemiologist at Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora. "We urge healthcare leaders to assess the needs of their infection prevention programs and dedicate the necessary staff, training and technology resources to this critical area."