Annual Report 2022
Department of Safety Management, Office of Infection Control and Prevention
Keiji Okinaka, Yusuke Ainoda, Asako Hashimoto, Tatsuhiko Kotabe, Satoshi Saito, Nobuo Mochizuki, Yui Suzuki, Mari Hisano, Go Sato
Introduction
The Office of Infection Control and Prevention was established in October 2016. The objective of our office is to promote hospital infection control to reduce the transmission of communicable diseases among patients, healthcare workers, and visitors. Our office also promotes antimicrobial stewardship. Since 2020, we have remained focused on infection control for COVID-19.
The Team and What We Do
Our missions are:
- Developing infection control policies and in-hospital guidelines
- Managing the surveillance system of healthcare-associated infections and drug-resistant bacteria to prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases
- Maintaining manuals regarding infection control and antimicrobial stewardship
- Inspecting and improving the quality of the hospital environment using ward rounds
- Inspecting and improving compliance with hand hygiene and other infection control measures using ward rounds
- Offering consulting services regarding infection control problems
- Preventing and managing needlestick injuries
- Vaccinating staff with insufficient protective immunity
- Planning the provision of employee education and educational campaigns to promote infection control and antimicrobial stewardship
- Planning conferences among regional hospitals to promote the improvement of infection control in each hospital
- Promoting antimicrobial stewardship
- Inspecting and promoting the proper disposal of medical waste
Research Activities
We have initiated research meetings and commenced supporting and promoting research activities within the members of the Office of Infection Control and Prevention.
We have initiated activities to promote vaccination for the prevention of infections among cancer patients. We started a patient survey research study to assess its effectiveness over time.
Future Prospects
It is anticipated that incidents of COVID-19 among hospitalized patients will persist in the future. Therefore, our goal is to prevent intra-hospital transmission through early detection and rapid response.
In line with national policy for antimicrobial resistance, we will continue our efforts to promote the appropriate use of antibiotics.
We are advancing the development of personnel responsible for infection control to strive towards creating a sustainable organization.