At this year’s Infection Control Nurses Association (ICNA) 36th Annual Infection Control Conference in September the first day will be dedicated to the issues around antimicrobial resistance.
Epidemiology underpins the very nature of everything done in attempting to control infections. Within healthcare, infection control teams, as well as other clinicians and those associated with healthcare, need to focus on ways in which they can target priority infection control related activities that will facilitate a reduction in infection rates. Sound epidemiological data should underpin these activities, ensuring priority areas are addressed. This is crucial in meeting the demands of today’s healthcare, political and public agendas.
Epidemiological data can be gathered through a variety of means including robust surveillance activities. These activities can lead to many actions at local and national level. However, in order for data to be meaningful and comparable over time they must be valid and reliable, collected in a standardised way and managed in a system that includes quality assurance and reporting mechanisms.
