PDF printable version of the Australian guidelines for the prevention and control of infection in health care (PDF 35 KB)
During national consultation for the Healthcare associated infections (HAI) project a consistent theme emerged of the importance of an innovative approach to the update of the National Infection Control Guidelines.
A new process for updating the guidelines is required which would ensure:
- A process of continuous review to replace five-yearly reviews and ensure currency.
- Development of relevant indicators, and identification of mechanisms for reporting these indicators.
- Mechanisms that allow for the commissioning of rapid response research that can inform and be incorporated into the guidelines.
- An update of the Guidelines based on the best available evidence.
- Training and education modules to drive implementation.
- Maximum useability of the guidelines by all clinicians.
The Commission has engaged the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to undertake the revision process. The NHMRC consolidates within a single national organisation the often independent functions of research funding and development of advice. One of its strengths is that it brings together and draws upon the resources of all components of the health system, including governments, medical practitioners, nurses and allied health professionals, researchers, teaching and research institutions, public and private program managers, service administrators, community health organisations, social health researchers and consumers.
The guideline development process will be in accordance with the guiding principles outlined in the NHMRC publication, A guide to the development, implementation and evaluation of clinical practice guidelines.
Several companion documents will be produced to assist with implementation and adoption. These include:
- education and training materials;
- summary of guidelines for non-specialist health care professionals;
- the development of indicators for monitoring and evaluating the adoption of the guidelines; and
- a consumer guide
Help with accessing large documents
When accessing large documents (over 500 KB in size), it is recommended that the following procedure be used:
- Click the link with the RIGHT mouse button
- Choose "Save Target As.../Save Link As..." depending on your browser
- Select an appropriate folder on a local drive to place the downloaded file
Attempting to open large documents within the browser window (by left-clicking)
may inhibit your ability to continue browsing while the document is
opening and/or lead to system problems.
Help with accessing PDF documents
To view PDF (Portable Document Format) documents, you will need to have a PDF reader installed on your computer. A number of PDF readers are available through the Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO) Web Guide website.
