With the ongoing threat of coronavirus known as COVID-19 worldwide, it is more important than ever for an organization in the human service environment to have infection control plans and policies in place. Although germs are found in nearly all of our surroundings, a small portion of these germs can lead to serious repercussions if left untreated. In this article, we will look at why infection control in the human service environment is important and some of the ways an organization can get started in their facility.
Why Is Infection Control Important?
The primary goal of infection control is to prevent healthcare-associated infections that can occur within clinical settings or the human service environment. In many cases, this process will focus on eliminating risk factors that may result in patient-to-patient, patient-to-staff, staff-to-patient or inter-staff infections. However, to successfully prevent infections, organizations must understand how the spread of infections occurs.
Communicable diseases and infections both require three distinct components for successful transmission. This includes a source that the infection originates from, a susceptible person the infection can enter and a transmission method to transfer the infection. Often referred to as the “chain of infection”, once broken the risk for potential infection can be eliminated. For this reason, identifying these factors and eliminating them is critical for limiting the spread of communicable diseases or infections.
How Can You Prevent Infections from Spreading?
Infection control is a crucial part of CARF® accreditation. So, it only makes sense that organizations learn how to limit the spread of communicable diseases or infections as effectively as possible. Currently, the CBD recommends 2 tiers of recommended precautions in healthcare or human services environments. However, more defined guidelines from a CARF® standpoint are available through CARF manuals and subscription-based services like Accreditation Now, Inc.
Through these links, organizations can find guidelines for the steps that should be taken if a potential infection is identified as well as proactive measures to ensure their facilities aren’t breeding grounds for these germs. With no plan in place, an infection can quickly spread among a facility as recently seen with the spread of the coronavirus known as COVID-19. Creating a line of defense now is important for ensuring your organization’s facilities remain as safe as possible for the people you are providing services for.
This content provided by: Accreditation Now, Inc.
