Risks of HAIs: problems and pitfalls

Abstract

At present, a major challenge in research that addresses risks of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) is the lack of methodological and theoretical studies generalizing the available knowledge in the sphere whereas applied works are plentiful. In recent years, methods of influence on the epidemic process of HAIs have been reassessed and some experts believe transition to the risk-based approach to be quite promising in this respect. This approach makes it possible to take timely measures aimed at reducing risks of such infections in advance. Since the risk-based approach within epidemiological safety is only starting to be integrated into the whole system of healthcare safety, development and specification of its individual components seems to be a promising trend in healthcare support. The key role in creating an effective system for control and surveillance over hospital-acquired infections belongs to activities related to development of scientific approaches to systematizing and unifying indicators that describe the subject area of HAIs risks in healthcare organizations of various profiles; improvement of the methodology for analyzing HAIs risks, the risk-based approach and risk management technologies within surveillance over such infections; optimization of science-based approaches to decision-making that relies on the risk-based approach and HAIs risk management technologies; development of methodical guidelines on monitoring, assessment, and prediction of HAIs risks in healthcare organizations of various profiles.

Keywords

• healthcare organizations
• epidemic process
• epidemiological safety
• hospital-acquired infections
• risks
• risk parameters
• risk management
• risk-based approach