What we learned from the COVID-19 infection control and what we need in the future, a quantitative and qualitative study on hospital infection prevention and control practitioners (HIPCPs) in Tianjin, China

He Liu; Chunnan Fei; Xiaojuan Zhang; Lei Yang; Xueyue Ji; Qili Zeng; Jun Liu; Jia Song; Zheng Yan

doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2024.05.004

What we learned from the COVID-19 infection control and what we need in the future, a quantitative and qualitative study on hospital infection prevention and control practitioners (HIPCPs) in Tianjin, China

Am J Infect Control. 2024 May 11:S0196-6553(24)00496-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2024.05.004. Online ahead of print.

Authors

He Liu¹, Chunnan Fei², Xiaojuan Zhang², Lei Yang³, Xueyue Ji², Qili Zeng⁴, Jun Liu², Jia Song², Zheng Yan²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Disinfection and Nosocomial Infection Control, Tianjin Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tianjin, China. Electronic address: medpop@foxmail.com.
² Department of Disinfection and Nosocomial Infection Control, Tianjin Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tianjin, China.
³ Department of Medicine, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
⁴ Department of Disinfection, Hubei Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hubei, China.

PMID: 38740285
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2024.05.004

Abstract

Background: In December 2022, the epidemic prevention and control policy was upgraded and China came to a different stage of epidemic control. There have been no studies from the perspective of infection prevention and control practitioners (HIPCP) about the historic surge.

Objective: To understand the needs of the healthcare system during the epidemic and to identify implications for better healthcare supply and infection control in the future.

Methods: A longitudinal quantitative and qualitative study was performed based on two comprehensive questionnaire surveys among 497 HIPCPs before and during the epidemic peak in Tianjin, China.

Results: The workload (8.2 hours vs 10.14 hours, P = 0) and self-reported mental health problems (23.5% vs. 61.8%, P < 0.05) among the HIPCPs increased significantly in the peak period. Ward reconstruction and resource coordination were the most needed jobs in hospital infection control, and rapidly increased medical waste during the epidemic needs to be considered in advance. Community support for healthcare personnel and their families, maintaining full PPE to reduce simultaneous infection of medical staff, and clinical training of infectious diseases for medical staff, especially doctors in advance are the most important things we learned.

Conclusion: Although it has been four years since the first outbreak of COVID-19, more improvements should be made to prepare for the next wave of COVID-19 or other diseases.

Keywords: COVID-19; Hand hygiene; Hospital infection prevention and control practitioners; manpower shortage; mental health; workload.