Infection Prevention and Control Resources and Training
- By: Fahrenheit Creative Group
- Date
Title of Report: Environmental Scan of IPC Trainings for Environmental Health Professionals
Enhancing IPC Trainings
An Environmental Scan of IPC Resources & Trainings
Our multi-organization team utilized a rapid environmental scan to research and identify top-tier trainings on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) that were 1) geared towards a more general audience and 2) provided services across the spectrum of healthcare facilities.
Using CDC’s TRAIN Learning Network, NNPHI’s Resources, and the WHO IPC Channel, the researchers narrowed the search to forty-one trainings that met the criteria, were free, and included the highest number of relevant key terms. However, only a small subset of trainings made it onto the List of Suggested Trainings, which details the highest quality trainings identified by the team.
Click here to read the report and see which top-tier trainings our researchers deemed critical for professionals in the environmental health workforce.
The Team and Their Roles
- National Networks of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI)
- National Environmental Health Association (NEHA)
- University of Utah Health
The team participated in and evaluated the forty-one trainings for 1) topics covered, 2) modes of delivery, 3) length, and 4) type of review to determine which trainings were top tier and which had barriers to completion.
The Criteria of the Trainings
The evaluated trainings were varied in topic, mode of delivery, length, and type of review.
- Topics covered: Overview of Infection Prevention and Control; Respiratory Infectious Disease Transmission; Ventilation; Cleaning, Disinfection, Decontamination, and Sanitation; Hospital-Associated or Acquired Infections; and Personal Protective Equipment and Safety
- Modes of delivery: Narrative with 0 Questions; Narrative with 1 or 2 Questions; Narrative with Visuals; Narrative with Questions and Visuals; and Interactive Delivery
- Length of training: Less than 15 Minutes; 15-30 Minutes; 30-60 Minutes; 1-2 Hours; 2-3 Hours; and 4-9 Hours
- Types of review: Visuals; Feedback; Topic Breadth; References Provided; and Author Expertise
The Barriers to Trainings
The team of professionals identified several barriers users may experience when taking these trainings, and found that three-quarters of the trainings had at least one of the following barriers:
- Excessive Web Navigation
- Registration Waiting Periods
- Excessive Search Levels and/or Terms
- Cost of Training
Organizations could provide higher-quality trainings by eliminating these barriers; expanding audiences to include general, non-medical personnel; reducing content redundancy; and increasing trainings on under-covered topics, such as ventilation. Trainings that had minimal instances of these factors were deemed by researchers to be higher quality.
The Results of the Environmental Scan
The results of this identification allowed the National Environmental Health Association to disseminate critical training and resources to professionals within the environmental health workforce. Discover how the results of this scan led to the development of other resources, like the NEHA Q&A session on IPC and Environmental Health.
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