There are around 200,000 healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in Australian acute healthcare facilities each year. This makes HAIs the most common complication affecting patients in hospital. As well as causing unnecessary pain and suffering for patients and their families, these adverse events prolong hospital stays and are costly to the health system. The problem does not just affect patients and workers in hospitals—HAIs can occur in any healthcare setting, including office-based practices (e.g. general practice clinics, dental clinics) and long-term care facilities. Any person working in or entering a healthcare facility is at risk. However, healthcare- associated infection is a potentially preventable adverse event rather than an unpredictable complication. It is possible to significantly reduce the rate of HAIs through effective infection prevention and control (ref: Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare, 2010).

Our new products cover:

The Basics of Infection Prevention and Control

This course provides an understanding of:

• basic microbiology
• what an infection is
• the body's defence mechanisms against infection
• what healthcare associated infections are
• the chain of infection, and
• an introduction to infection prevention and control measures used to minimise infection transmission risk.

Standard Precautions for Infection Prevention and Control

This course provides an understanding of:

• standard precautions used in healthcare environments to prevent and control infection
• how to maintain effective hand hygiene
• the need for respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette
• the importance of maintaining a clean environment
• how to use personal protective equipment (PPE) safely
• the importance of reprocessing reusable instruments and equipment, and
• asepsis and aseptic technique.

Transmission-Based Precautions for Infection Prevention and Control

This course provides an understanding of:

• transmission-based precautions used in healthcare environments to prevent and control infection
• what contact precautions are and how to use them against contact with infectious agents
• what droplet precautions are and how to use them to prevent infection transmission, and
• what airborne precautions are and how to use them against infectious agents.

Reasons and benefits of the new courses: At least half of healthcare associated infections are preventable. Successful infection control to minimise the risk of transmission requires a range of strategies across all levels of the healthcare system and a collaborative approach for successful implementation.

The aim of these courses is to provide best practice behaviours that can help prevent patients getting preventable healthcare associated infections.

The courses feature:

• animation and interactivity
• downloadable takeaways to give the product a wider use, all of which are delivered via a home page dashboard
• mobile responsive delivery
• professional audio
• WCAG 2.0 accessibility
• assessments, and
• a certificate of completion.

New Unit Numbers

• The Basics of Infection Prevention and Control (25840)
• Standard Precautions for Infection Prevention and Control (24526)
• Transmission-Based Precautions for Infection Prevention and Control (24527)

Old Unit Numbers

• Infection Prevention and Control – 4939 (retired)
• Preventing and Controlling Healthcare Associated Infections Part 1 - The Basics – 10335 (superseded by 25840)

Kineo Courses product updates are not an automatic process. For current Kineo clients, please contact your account manager to get further information and arrange roll over to the new version of a product you are subscribed to, or discuss enabling access to one you are not. If you are not a Kineo client and would like to know more about the below updates and our wider product offering, please call 1300 303 318 for further assistance.