[Control of hygienic conditions in medical institutions in Germany by the public health services--objectives, strategies and data on compliance].
According to the Protection against Infection Act, public health services have been legally obliged to control the hygienic conditions in hospitals for many years. In the amendment of this act of 2001, ambulatory medical settings such as ambulatory surgical facilities, private medical practices, and dental practices have to be controlled as well. Since this increase in legal tasks has not been accompanied by an increase in staff in the public health services, new ways have had to be established to comply with these tasks. Prioritisation based on analyses of infection risks in the various ambulatory settings as well as feasible control strategies are mandatory. In most hospitals, hygienic personnel such as nurses for hospital hygiene, hygienists and standard operating procedures on hygienic measurements are available, so that new guidelines can easily be communicated between the public health department and the specialists and be implemented there. In ambulatory settings such as private practices, however, neither hygienic specialists nor appropriate organisation structures are available and time for studying guidelines and current rules is scarce. Thus, in order to achieve a maximum of hygiene in a minimum of time, public health services should offer lessons in hygiene for the personnel as well as a model of a hygiene plan and other information and facilities, that are easy to understand for non-specialists and easy to implement in practical settings. Examples of this strategy and data on its effect are given in this paper.
Heudorf
U
U
Abteilung Medizinische Dienste und Hygiene, Stadtgesundheitsamt Frankfurt am Main, Braubachstrasse 18-22, Frankfurt. ursel.heudorf@stadt-frankfurt.de
D005858:Germany; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006268:Health Facilities / Q000592:standards*; D006920:Hygiene / Q000592:standards*; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000592:standards*; D009937:Organizational Objectives