Assessment of the infection prevention and control learning needs of Ottawa community-based healthcare providers

Abstract

Background: Under the Health Protection and Promotion Act and Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Complaint Protocol, Ontario public health units are mandated to respond to IPAC complaints about community-based clinical offices. From 2015 to 2018, Ottawa Public Health noted a seven-fold increase in IPAC complaints involving medical and dental settings. In response, we sought to assess the IPAC learning needs of our community-based healthcare providers. Specifically, our objectives were to assess: 1) clinical practice characteristics, 2) current IPAC practices, 3) IPAC knowledge, 4) barriers/facilitators to adherence to IPAC best practices, and 5) preferred IPAC professional development activities. Methods: An anonymous online survey targeting Ottawa community-based healthcare providers was disseminated through multiple methods including through Ottawa Public Health’s (OPH) subscription-based e-bulletin to physicians. The short survey questionnaire included Likert-scale, multiple choice, and open-ended questions. Data collection began in August 2018; a descriptive analysis was conducted using data extracted on January 19, 2019. Results: Our findings suggest that medical respondents may not be as aware of IPAC practices in their clinic as dental respondents were. Familiarity with IPAC best practice documents was also higher among dental respondents, as compared to medical respondents. IPAC knowledge-testing questions revealed that more medical than dental respondents knew the appropriate use of multi-dose vials, and that few medical respondents knew the IPAC best practices for point-of-care glucose monitoring equipment. Respondents recognized the importance of adhering to IPAC best practices to prevent healthcare-associated infections; however, lack of evidence and cost were selfreported barriers to adherence to IPAC best practices. Over half of all medical and dental respondents surveyed were interested in a voluntary audit of their IPAC practices to help meet their IPAC professional development needs. Conclusions: Findings from this needs assessment helped describe current IPAC practices and knowledge, identify barriers and facilitators to adherence to IPAC best practices, and understand the learning preferences of Ottawa community-based healthcare providers. This information will be instrumental in planning future IPAC capacity-building activities and tailoring these activities to specific professional groups in Ottawa and potentially beyond.