Joint Commission learning tool targets infection control in long-term care facilities.
Distributor sales reps looking for new ways to provide value to their long-term care accounts should consider sharing the Joint Commission’s new online education module, “Applying High Reliability Principles to the Prevention and Control of Infections in Long Term Care.” The organization intends to use its e-learning tool to demonstrate the impact of the principles of high reliability on infection in long-term care settings.
The learning module was partially funded through a conference grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and is free to all users.
Traditionally, high reliability solutions have been associated with the study of such industries as commercial aviation and nuclear power, which operate under hazardous conditions while maintaining outstanding safety records, according to the Joint Commission. By applying these solutions to long-term care settings, the Joint Commission hopes to enable facilities to attain higher levels of safety and quality.
This is especially important in light of the vast number of infections that affect long-term care residents every year. According to the Joint Commission:
- Approximately 1.6 to 3.8 million infections occur in long-term care facilities each year.
- More than 1.5 million people live in 16,000 nursing homes in the United States, and estimates suggest that infections could lead to as many as 380,000 deaths among these residents each year.
- The nursing home population is expected to reach 5.3 million people by 2030.
The learning module demonstrates the principles used in aviation and nuclear power industries, connecting them to common situations that arise in long-term care settings. It includes examples, quizzes, discussion and other resources to engage users, who can engage in small-group discussions regarding how the lessons apply to particular care settings.
Further, the learning module is designed for all staff levels, including environmental services, dietary, therapy, nurses, certified nursing assistants, administrators and physicians, to enable the principles to be put into place throughout the entire organization. At the completion of the module, the Joint Commission expects participants to:
- Understand the characteristics of high reliability healthcare.
- Identify how infection prevention and control practices in long-term care can incorporate high reliability principles.
- Summarize how to take a systems approach to preventing errors related to infection prevention and control.
- Apply the concepts of high reliability to infection prevention in the individual’s organization.
The 50-minute module covers a range of topics, including:
- How multiple initiatives in long-term care aim to accomplish common goals.
- What it means to be a high reliability organization.
- How errors occur when multiple defenses fail.
- Why infections should be viewed as errors.
- How each individual’s role contributes to high reliability.
- How high reliability contributes to improved safety and quality for residents, staff and families/friends.
For more information visit http://www.jointcommission.org/HRipcLTC.aspx