[Expectations of infection control doctors in small and middle-sized hospitals].
In Japan, medical facilities have been requested to enforce a plan for hospital infection prevention, and Infection Control Doctor (ICD) as a qualification is drawing attention. The council for ICDs consists of 22 academic societies and has been closely investigating infectious diseases since 1999. This council has been authorizing ICDs (the number of ICDs was 5,750 in 2009) and holding more than 15 seminars per year to improve their effectiveness. Emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza and also epidemics of multi-drug-resistant pathogens may markedly impact Japan in the future. Therefore, ICDs are expected to become widespread. From now on, the council for ICDs should help improve infection control education by taking a leading role, together with doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and medical technologists.
Sunakawa
Keisuke
K
Kitasato Institute for Life Sciences, Kitasato University, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan. sunakawa@med.kitasato-u.ac.jp
D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000458:organization & administration; D016357:Infection Control Practitioners / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration; D007564:Japan