Healthcare Consumer FAQ

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   What is the role of an Infection Preventionist (IP) to me as a healthcare consumer?

When communicable diseases are present, the potential for transmitting these diseases also exists. IP's work to minimize the spread of communicable diseases in the healthcare environment. Their work is crucial to maintaining and improving the quality of healthcare.

  What exactly does an Infection Prevention and Control Professional do?

Infection Prevention and Control Professionals are nurses, physicians, public health professionals, epidemiologists, microbiologists, or medical technologists who:

  • Use scientifically based infection prevention practices and collaborate with the healthcare team to assure implementation;
  • Work to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in healthcare facilities by isolating sources of infections and limiting their transmission;
  • Educate healthcare personnel and the public about infectious diseases and how to limit their spread;
  • Collect, analyze, and interpret health data in order to track infection trends, plan appropriate interventions, measure success, and report relevant data to public health agencies.
  What is the Certification Board for Infection Control & Epidemiology (CBIC) and what do they do?

CBIC is a voluntary board that administers a certification program for infection prevention and control professionals. Certification is obtained by passing a 150-question proctored examination. This certification measures knowledge mastery of infection prevention, infection control, and epidemiology. CICs must maintain their certification through repeat examinations every five years.

  Is certification required before someone can become an Infection Prevention and Control Professional?

No, there are many qualified Infection Prevention and Control Professionals who have not pursued certification. An Infection Prevention and Control Professional must be working in the field of infection prevention and control prior to being eligible to sit for the certification examination.

  How can I tell whether or not an Infection Prevention and Control Professional is certified by CBIC?

Infection Prevention and Control Professional who have passed the certification exam usually carry the CIC® designation after their name. Your healthcare provider will be able to tell you whether or not they have certified infection control professionals on their staff. CBIC also offers an online searchable database here.

  As a healthcare consumer, why should I care whether or not the Infection Prevention and Control Professional working for my healthcare provider is certified?

Certification by CBIC protects the healthcare consumer by:

  1. Measuring current knowledge needed for Infection Prevention and Control Professional
  2. Encouraging individual growth and study
  3. Formally recognizing those who fulfill the requirements for certification
  Administering this type of certification process places a large responsibility on CBIC. How does the board ensure that their certification process is valid?

A lengthy and involved process is used to develop, administer and analyze the certification exam. The actual examination questions are developed from actual work experiences and responsibilities of infection control professionals in the United States and Canada. CBIC committees and other professionals subject these questions to review prior to being accepted as test questions. In depth analysis are performed on all exams administered.

Additionally, CBIC adheres to numerous standards including: the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).

  What is a nosocomial infection?

The term nonsocomial infection originally meant "hospital acquired infection" and is no longer used by Infection Prevention and Control Professional. It has been replaced by the term "healthcare-associated infection" or "HAI" to better reflect the different settings in which healthcare is currently provided.

"Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are infections caused by a wide variety of common and unusual bacteria, fungi, and viruses during the course of receiving medical care" (CDC, 2011).

  What is epidemiology?

Epidemiology is the study of factors, which influence the occurrence, distribution, prevention, and control of disease, and other health related events.

  Where can I learn more about infection control, epidemiology and the quality of healthcare?

For more information on infection control and infection control professionals visit the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) website. The page on Infection Prevention and You provides useful information on how to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in your own home.

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