Healthcare associated infections (HCAIs), including E. coli, C. difficile and MRSA, can present major risks to patient safety. There’s a huge financial price too, with HCAIs estimated to cost the NHS around £1bn each year.
As healthcare professionals we have a crucial role to play in educating patients and the general public about HCAIs and infection prevention. By providing clear, timely and tailored information, we can help prevent the spread of infections and save vital NHS resources. Communicating clearly also helps ensure that concerns are addressed as early as possible which means they are less likely to escalate.
The needs and concerns of patients, visitors and members of the public are varied, and there is no ‘one size fits all’ way to reach them. To ensure we provide information which is understandable, relatable and personable, we must really listen to why people feel the way they do. How people perceive and respond to healthcare risks is complex; they can be influenced by a range of factors including past experiences, social interactions, feelings of vulnerability and levels of trust.
This means that, as healthcare professionals, we need to maximise every opportunity to inform people on HCAIs and infection prevention. This is particularly true for primary care, which is typically the first point of contact for patients and their main source of continuing care. With around 90% of patient interaction coming through primary care services, it provides a major opportunity to communicate with patients about HCAIs. In addition, clear communication in primary care settings also helps ensure that the standards of infection prevention and control are comparable with those in an acute hospital setting.
There is a wide range of ways we can reach people, including face-to-face contact, online resources, speaking opportunities such as conferences, and the media. The media is a key influencer of public opinion, and there is significant media interest in HCAIs. As healthcare professionals we can sometimes be too quick to dismiss certain articles – such as those warning of the risks of ‘deadly superbugs’ – as sensationalist and misrepresentative.
However, even media coverage which some healthcare professionals may see as inaccurate still impacts on public consciousness, so we must be cautious not to ignore articles that are likely to have been seen by large numbers of people. Instead, it is our role to work with the media to provide expert input and commentary to help provide clarity.
The risks patients and the public associate with HCAIs are not certain or fixed, and can change frequently, which means communication from healthcare professionals cannot be a one-off activity. As part of this, we must continually seek innovative communication solutions.
Examples of innovative ways to communicate include displaying information creatively in both visual and audio form within healthcare and social settings, and making use of the immediate surroundings. To help achieve this, healthcare organisations could collaborate with local groups such as art and design Schools, Universities, and Colleges. We should also make use of technology and mobile devices, including apps, videos (including video-based consultations) audio messages, text messages and social media to provide tailored and targeted information.
We must also remember to involve those we want to reach when developing new methods or refining strategies. Our audiences must be integral to the process of designing communication on HCAIs and infection prevention; by collaborating with the public and understanding what they need, we can co-design methods that are more likely to be effective and have a sustainable impact.
Finally, we must not take for granted that all healthcare professionals are skilled and competent communicators. Healthcare organisations need to ensure that high quality, engaging, interactive training is provided on a regular basis.
The Infection Prevention Society’s vision is that no person is harmed by a preventable infection, and we know that getting the right information to patients, staff, visitors and members of the public plays a vital part in this.
By enabling healthcare professionals to provide the best possible communication on HCAIs, we will not only help protect the public but also ensure we are able to our jobs as effectively as possible.
Dr Emma Burnett, member of the Infection Prevention Society’s Board