In response to the COVID-19 epidemic, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) is offering a new online course, free of charge, to healthcare providers on infection control practices in healthcare settings, including personal protective equipment (PPE), hand hygiene and pneumonia.

The online program, Prevention Course in HAI Knowledge and Control (Prevention CHKC) was developed to improve awareness of and compliance with infection prevention and control practices and is particularly timely as healthcare teams on the frontlines are bringing on new workers and recalling those who have recently retired to address the influx of patients affected by COVID-19. SHEA is offering the course on its Online Education Center, learningCE.shea-online.org in English, free of charge until May 31, 2020 with the discount code COVID19. While the course is geared toward those working in a healthcare setting, it is an available resource for anyone who would like to use it. Participants are encouraged to prioritize modules focusing on safe hand hygiene practices, use of personal protective equipment, and prevention of pneumonia.

“With many healthcare facilities stretched to or beyond their limits and others preparing to be, this course provides critical information and skills to keep frontline providers, their families, and patients safe in this crisis,” said Hilary Babcock, MD, MPH, chair of the SHEA Education and Research Foundation. “These prevention processes are not necessarily intuitive, and the need for refreshing these skills among healthcare workers is high in normal times and critical during this global pandemic.”

The interactive continuing medical education course was developed by SHEA members who are experts in epidemiology, infection prevention, and antibiotic stewardship with support from an educational grant to the SHEA Education and Research Foundation from BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company). The course includes a pre-assessment to show areas of needed improvement to allow participants to best select the courses that will be most meaningful. Continuing education and maintenance of certification credits are available.

“Infection prevention and control has long been an important aspect of keeping patients and clinicians safe,” said Kalvin Yu, director of medical affairs for BD. “Today, as healthcare systems around the world become more strained by the day in response to COVID-19, these basic exercises are more critical than ever. At BD, we are actively promoting the availability of this program to help ensure these important training programs are a known resource for the healthcare community.”

The course includes 30-minute modules titled: Clean Hands; Clean Environment; Precautions & PPE; Occupational Health; and Diagnostic & Antibiotic Stewardship. Additional modules address prevention of specific types of infections associated with healthcare settings: CAUTI & CLABSI; pneumonia, MRSA & MDROs, C. difficile, and surgical site infections. In addition, these courses feature compelling patient stories that showcase the importance of infection prevention beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)