Development and Application of an Educational-Training Programme for Infection Control Practitioners in Long-Term Care Hospitals

Abstract

Elderly persons are at risk of infection due to underlying diseases and weak immune systems. All elderly persons do not require hospitalization in LTCHs, even if have chronic illness or weakened immune systems, but they require care in long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) that have well-trained infection control practitioners (ICPs). This study aimed to develop an educational-training programme for ICPs working in LTCHs using the Developing A Curriculum (DACUM) method. Based on the results of the literature review and the DACUM committee workshop, 12 duties and 51 tasks of ICPs were identified. A total of 209 ICPs participated in the survey, rating 12 duties and 51 tasks on a 5-point scale in terms of frequency, importance, and difficulty. An educational-training programme consisting of five modules was developed, focusing on tasks higher than the mean for each of frequency (2.71 ± 0.64), importance (3.90 ± 0.05), and difficulty (3.67 ± 0.44). Twenty nine ICPs participated in a pilot educational-training programme. The mean programme satisfaction level was 93.23 (standard deviation: ±3.79 points) out of 100 points. The average total knowledge and skill scores were significantly higher after the programme (26.13 ± 1.09, 24.91 ± 2.46, respectively) than before the programme (18.89 ± 2.39, 13.98 ± 3.56, respectively) (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). This programme will improve the knowledge and skills of ICPs, and thereby contribute to the reduction in healthcare-associated infections in LTCHs.