Using CCTV as an Additional Measure in the Hierarchy of Controls to Improve Standard and Transmission Based Precautions in NSW Quarantine Health Hotels
Ms Elizabeth Dawson1
1Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, Australia
Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) is a tool that has been used during the COVID-19 pandemic by the SLHD Infection, Prevention and Control (IPAC) team to identify exposure incidents and to review practices of healthcare workers in high risk settings.
CCTV has been incorporated within the hierarchy of controls as a procedure to observe if staff comply with hand hygiene practices, staff wear the correct PPE specifically focussed on the PPE staff wear when coming within 1.5m of a patient, donning and doffing, cleaning of shared equipment, high touch point cleaning, correct lift cleaning procedures and whether staff are wearing correct PPE in a confined space with a patient who is suspected or confirmed of COVID-19.
There have been 14,000 patients quarantine in Special Health Accommodation since June 8 2021 with 1,500 patients positive for SARS-CoV-2. These hotels have employed nursing, cleaning and accommodation assistants since the inception and to date there has been no recorded transmission from patient to healthcare worker from these facilities. Overall compliance with transmission based precautions audits and PPE audits are above 90% with hand hygiene consistently above 95% with audits attended face-to-face and via CCTV to reduce the hawthorn effect.
Using CCTV to monitor and observe behaviours has allowed the IPAC team to ensure staff are complying with transmission based precautions in the high risk setting. The use of CCTV as an additional control within the hierarchy of controls has improved infection control compliance and reduced risk of staff exposure to SARS-CoV-2 or significant transmission events.
Biography:
Elizabeth is an Infection Prevention and Control Clinical nurse Consultant with SLHD currently working with Special Health Accommodation. The role is part of an IPAC team that works face to face with staff and relevant stakeholders to improve transmission based precautions in the high risk health hotel quarantine setting.