The Infection Control Expert Panel met in late April and approved draft infection control principles that emphasize the need for organization-wide collaboration among infection control practitioners, physicians, other clinical staff, and administrative managers, among others. The need for integration of infection control programs with safety programs and periodic reporting of results to the governing body of organizations was also discussed. The Panel also reviewed and modified draft infection control standards that emphasize the actual performance of infection control interventions, based on the premise that infection control programs need to adapt to changing organizational characteristics and environmental factors.
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)'s Professional and Technical Advisory Committees reviewed the draft standards in May and the Standards and Survey Procedures (SSP) Committee will consider authorizing a field of the standards at its June meeting.