Remote Infection Control Assessments Reduced COVID-19 Spread in US Nursing Homes

During spring 2020, nursing homes (NHs) across the United States implemented successful telephone and video-based infection control assessment and response (TelelCAR) strategies to minimize the spread of COVID-19 among staff and residents.

Researchers utilized COVID-19 guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to create an assessment tool that covered 6 domains[ES1] : health care personnel COVID-19 training; visitor restrictions; resident education, screening, monitoring and cohorting; core infection prevention and control (IPC); communication to public health; and personal protective equipment supply.

TelelCAR consultations were performed on behalf of health departments and researchers reported documentation of adherence to each element and provided recommendations to the facility.

Overall numbers and proportions of NHs that reported making ≥1 change in practice following the assessment were examined with overall numbers and proportions of NHs that had not implemented each infection control element, wrote researchers.

TelelCAR consultations were completed in 629 NHs across 19 states from April 13 to June 12, 2020. According to study findings, 83% had ≥1 implementation gaps identified and the median number of gaps was 2 (IQR: 1, 4).

“The domains with the greatest number of facilities with gaps were core IPC practices (428/625 [68%]) and COVID-19 education, monitoring, screening, and cohorting of residents (291/620 [47%]),” stated researchers.

Early in the pandemic TelelCAR was implemented across US NHs as an alternative to onsite infection control assessments.

“Assessments identified widespread gaps in core IPC practices that put residents and staff at risk of infection,” concluded study authors. “TeleICAR is an important strategy that leverages infection control expertise and can be useful in future efforts to improve NH IPC.”

Reference:
Walters MS, Prestel C, Fike L, et al. Remote infection control assessments of US nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, April to June 2020. J Am Med Dir Assoc. Published online April 5, 2022. doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2022.03.015