title: Implementing a policy for practitioners infected with blood-borne pathogens.
abstract: Healthcare practitioners infected with blood-borne pathogens may pose a risk to patients. There is disagreement about how to best protect the health of patients without unjustifiably restricting the autonomy of infected practitioners. There are no accepted national standards to guide Canadian hospitals in policy development. We implemented a policy for practitioners infected with blood-borne pathogens based on available scientific evidence and review of current practices. The policy was well-received by our physicians and dentists, and serves as a template for other organizations and hospitals tackling this issue.
authors.affiliation: Infection Prevention and Control Program, Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Worthington
mesh_terms: D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D002170:Canada; D006801:Humans; D017757:Infectious Disease Transmission, Professional-to-Patient / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D009313:National Health Programs; D016134:Organizational Policy; D017751:Safety Management