Dempsey Kathy, Jain Susan, Bradd Patricia, Clezy Kate, Greenfield David
Infection Prevention and Control and HAI, Clinical Excellence Commission, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Infection Prevention and Control and HAI, Clinical Excellence Commission, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Am J Infect Control. 2025 Feb;53(2):188-195. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2024.10.036. Epub 2024 Nov 7.
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in constant changes to Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) recommendations, impacting clinician capacity to stay up to date. The COVID-19 IPAC Response and Escalation Framework (IPAC Framework), rarely reported or evaluated was developed to provide scalable IPAC guidance during the pandemic to health care in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.
Using a thematic analysis approach, a qualitative study using an online, cross-sectional survey comprising 27 questions was sent to 248 key stakeholders. Participants were health workers with broad clinical and system representation with responsibilities for risk assessment, communicating, implementing, or monitoring the IPAC Framework.
The IPAC Framework provided a useful IPAC tool for the management of COVID-19 as perceived by 93% of respondents. The overwhelming majority (91%) reported the Framework provided enough information on IPAC strategies needed for COVID-19 that were aligned with transmission risk. Resources supporting the IPAC Framework were reported by most respondents (84%) as being widely accepted as the authoritative guidance.
An IPAC Framework is perceived as invaluable by clinicians and administrators to manage IPAC requirements in health care during a pandemic. The IPAC Framework can be applied more generally to support ongoing IPAC requirements.
新冠疫情导致感染预防与控制（IPAC）建议不断变化，影响了临床医生及时了解最新情况的能力。新冠IPAC应对与升级框架（IPAC框架）鲜少被报道或评估，其制定目的是在疫情期间为澳大利亚新南威尔士州（NSW）的医疗保健提供可扩展的IPAC指导。
采用主题分析方法，通过一项包含27个问题的在线横断面调查进行定性研究，向248名关键利益相关者发送了调查问卷。参与者为具有广泛临床和系统代表性、负责风险评估、沟通、实施或监测IPAC框架的卫生工作者。
93%的受访者认为IPAC框架是管理新冠疫情的有用IPAC工具。绝大多数（91%）受访者表示，该框架提供了与传播风险相一致的新冠疫情所需IPAC策略的足够信息。大多数受访者（84%）报告称，支持IPAC框架的资源被广泛接受为权威指导。
临床医生和管理人员认为IPAC框架在疫情期间管理医疗保健中的IPAC要求方面具有极高价值。IPAC框架可更广泛地应用于支持持续的IPAC要求。
