Articles Tagged With: epidemiology
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New Leaders in Infection Control
The new leaders in two key roles for healthcare epidemiology and public health are Tania Bubb, PhD, RN, CIC, FAPIC, 2024 president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology; and Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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AI: Friend or Foe to IP & C, Healthcare Epidemiology?
Artificial intelligence chatbots, such as Chat Generative Pre-training Transformer (ChatGPT), are thought to have potential to eventually replace some straightforward infectious disease consultations. However, current technology does not yet instill confidence that the use of chatbots will be adequately accurate or safe for complex patient care. In addition, philosophical and ethical constraints raise doubt about the value of replacing specialist physician consultations.
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The Seeker: Infection Control Doctor Takes the Road Less Traveled
Meet Leighann Parkes, MD, FRCPC, medical officer for infection prevention and control at McGill University in Montreal, who took a decidedly circuitous route to understanding and preventing infections.
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CDC Update on Candida auris Epidemiology 2019 to 2021
A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discusses the changing epidemiology of Candida auris between 2019 and 2021, including a 200% jump in screening cases from 2020 to 2021.
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Device Nurses Can Prevent CLABSIs
A recent study estimated the average central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) costs $48,108, while increasing patient mortality by 12% to 25%. These costs and patient consequences may ensue if the central line is not routinely observed and maintained. Thus, one hospital system justified hiring two epidemiology nurses in 2018 after years of trying to claw back CLABSI rates by various interventions.
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An Idea Whose Time Has Come: An Academic Path for Infection Preventionist Education
With shifting demographics and aging expertise, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology is creating infection preventionist curriculum for colleges and universities.
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SHEA Outlines Research Agenda for COVID-19, Future Viral Pandemics
Looking to future viral pandemics as well as the current one of COVID-19, the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America has set an ambitious research agenda to improve preparation and response to these cataclysmic events.
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Long-Term Care IPs Are ‘Heroes’ of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Infection preventionists are the heroes of the pandemic, dealing with a profound crisis without proper training and resources, said experts in infection prevention and epidemiology during a recent “5 Second Rule” podcast from the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.
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Epidemiology of Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders in Two Distinct Populations: Black and White
Based on an epidemiological study in two ethnically and geographically distinct populations of patients diagnosed with central nervous system inflammatory demyelinating diseases, the authors report a higher prevalence among Afro-Caribbean patients in Martinique in the eastern Caribbean sea vs. a predominantly Caucasian population in Olmstead County in Minnesota. The study demonstrates a propensity for neuromyelitis optica to affect blacks more than Caucasians.
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Increasing Job Requirements Warrant More Funding for IPs, Epidemiologists
As infection prevention and healthcare epidemiology continue to undergo a dramatic transformation in duties and responsibilities, resources and program support are lagging in many hospitals even as a Zika virus outbreak follows closely on the heels of Ebola.