Digital transformation and infection control strategies

• Autor(a) principal: Domingues, Mariana Nabais
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10071/30632
• topic: Cuidados de saúde -- Health care; Hospitals; Healthcare Associated Infections; Transformação digital -- Digital transformation; Tecnologia digital -- Digital technology; TIC -- Tecnologias da informação e comunicação -- ICT Information and communication technology; Estabelecimento hospitalar; Infeções associadas aos cuidados de saúde

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, placing a burden on society and hospitalized patients. Despite the interventions implemented in most healthcare facilities, these are still insufficient to counteract the rise in prevalence of this type of infections. Within the context of infection control, Digital transformation (DT) has the potential to reduce costs, improve effectiveness and overall quality of care. Digital and innovative approaches can help reduce the prevalence and severity of HAIs. However, the implementation of these type of technologies and methodologies in healthcare is not yet generalized, and particularly in infection control strategies’, digital-first is not yet common practice. This study aims to understand the perception and knowledge of DT in infection control strategies in Portuguese hospitals. A survey was designed based on literature about digital support and interventions in infection control, resulting in 34 full responses. Results indicate that knowledge about DT is limited and the use of digital technologies in the context of infection control is low. However, Infection Control Committees also reported an interest in the implementation of these technologies, both to improve data collection methods and to increase quality of care. Lack of funding, technical knowledge and shortage of human resources were cited as some of the main obstacles for DT. Overall, results highlight the importance of understanding, promoting, and validating DT to build confidence, further promote and reinforce the establishment of such processes under Infection Control Committees activities.