The experiences and roles of infection prevention and control professionals working in residential care facilities during global outbreaks: An integrative review.

Abstract

Background: The escalating threat of global infectious disease outbreaks has underscored the imperative for robust infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, particularly within the high-risk context of residential care facilities. This research aimed to investigate the experiences and roles of IPC professionals (IPCPs) in such settings during global outbreaks.

Methods: Utilising an integrative review methodology, four electronic databases - Medline, CINAHL, Embase, and Scopus - were searched from 2003 onwards for relevant papers. A two-tiered independent screening approach was employed to select eligible articles, followed by a consensus-based appraisal and thematic analysis of included studies.

Results: The final review encompassed eight articles. IPCPs faced systemic organisational and ground-level operational hurdles, including inequitable access to resources, and lack of training and outbreak preparedness. External and internal variables impacted the effectiveness of outbreak responses, affecting resident and occupational health, and perceptions of IPC over time.

Conclusions: The review identified systemic challenges IPCPs face in residential care during outbreaks, including resource inequity and lack of standardised training. Centralised resources and standardised educational benchmarks may help to mitigate these issues. Policy changes are required to enhance healthcare readiness, quality, and research in residential care settings.