Resourcing of hospital infection prevention and control programs in Victoria, Australia.

Abstract

Background: Effective hospital infection prevention and control (IPC) programs require adequate and specialized resourcing. To advocate for future resourcing, we reviewed existing hospital IPC program resourcing in Victoria, Australia.

Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used. A voluntary survey was distributed to IPC program leads in Victorian hospitals. Data were collected on hospital characteristics (acute bed numbers, services), IPC program staffing (roles, experience, full-time equivalent [FTE]), and program portfolio. Anonymized responses were analyzed by sector and bed size.

Results: Overall, 113 facilities responded, corresponding to 45% of Victorian hospitals. Hospitals with ≥ 200 beds reported that IPC programs had a median FTE per 100 acute beds of 1.6, compared to hospitals in the small (50-99 beds) and medium (100-199) categories, which reported 0.8 and 0.5 FTE, respectively. Median FTE per 100 acute beds was higher in public (3.2) than private (0.4) hospitals. Public hospitals had larger teams and more experienced IPC staff than private hospitals.

Conclusions: Differences in IPC program resourcing are evident in Victorian hospitals, when assessed by sector and bed size. With increasing demands on IPC programs, an understanding of current resourcing assists in future workforce planning.