Mr Joshua McRae, Dr Sally Havers
Biography:
Josh is a Director of Clinical Informatics and Digital Health, clinical informatician and holds a conjoint research position with the University of Queensland and Queensland health. His clinical background is emergency nursing with nearly 10 years specialisation in clinical informatics and digital health.
Abstract:
Background
Healthcare-associated infection (HAI) surveillance is a core component of infection prevention and control (IPC) programs but remains dependent on fragmented information systems and resource-intensive manual review. Clinical analytics tools (CATs) offer opportunities to improve HAI surveillance however development often occurs without sufficient understanding of clinical workflows and end-user prioritiesw.
Aim
This study aimed to co-design a prototype healthcare-associated infection (HAI) surveillance clinical analytics tool (CAT) informed by clinician requirements and existing health system infrastructure.
Methods
A multiphase co-design study was undertaken. Semi-structured focus groups with infection prevention and control professionals explored current and desired future-state clinical analytics requirements for HAI surveillance. Focus group data underwent thematic analysis and were mapped to the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) framework. Co-design workshops were used to identify priorities and develop a prototype CAT.
Results
Thirteen IPCPs participated in four focus groups and 12 in two co-design workshops. HAI surveillance was characterised by fragmented systems, limited interoperability and labour-intensive manual investigation. Participants prioritised CAT functionality that automated workflows, integrated data and supported timely clinical decision-making. Although the project initially focused on HAI surveillance, co-design identified contact tracing as the highest priority. The resulting prototype integrated patient movement and location data to rapidly identify exposed patients, addressing a major source of workflow burden.
Conclusion
Co-design refined the focus of a proposed HAI surveillance CAT from broad surveillance functionality to a targeted contact-tracing tool addressing a high-burden clinical workflow. These findings highlight the value of end-user engagement in identifying clinically meaningful opportunities for digital innovation in infection prevention and control.