A new educational campaign from the Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) aims to enlist patients in the fight against healthcare-associated infections.
"Infection Prevention and You" is the first consumer campaign of its kind focused on teaching patients about the role of inflection preventionists in health care, says APIC. The campaign offers free, print-ready materials, including high-resolution posters, flyers, brochures and a PowerPoint presentation, that educate patients about infection prevention efforts, such as hand-washing, cleaning and disinfection. The materials also give sample questions patients should ask their healthcare providers about infection prevention, such as, "Is this the first time this vial, needle and syringe have been used?"
"Patients often feel intimidated in the healthcare setting and may not know what to say or what to do to stay safe," says APIC Communications Committee Chair Ann Marie Pettis, RN, BSN, CIC, who assisted in developing the campaign content. "The information in this campaign helps patients understand that they can play an active role in their health care to prevent healthcare-associated infections and medical error."
The materials are available for free download from www.apic.org/patientsafety. If you have Adobe Acrobat, you can add your facility's name, logo and the name of your infection preventionist to the materials yourself. You may also order customized campaign materials from APIC; printing and shipping costs will apply.
In addition to printable collateral, the website features links to information on various patient safety projects and initiatives, as well as reports and research from infection preventionists. Check it out here.
Irene Tsikitas
