Dr Yobelli Jimenez1, Professor Sarah Lewis1
1Discipline of Medical Imaging Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University Of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
Introduction: To better understand the challenges and facilitators that affect Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) in medical imaging (MI) departments, a scoping review was undertaken to explore the state of IPC in MI publications. The Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) model was used to identify the work system factors influencing the practice of IPC in MI.
Methods: Terms relating to IPC in the MI setting were used to search Medline and Web of Science for English language articles published between 1992 and 2022. The concept of IPC included all measures that aim to prevent and control the spread of pathogens between people in the MI setting, excluding sonography.
Results: 43 publications met the inclusion criteria. All five SEIPS domains influencing IPC in MI were identified, supporting the interrelated nature of the five domains. Mechanisms of infection were mostly reported for contrast media use. Re-design in IPC were recommended for individuals, education, and issues associated with specific tasks undertaken when handling contrast media equipment. Commentary articles published from 2020 focused largely on IPC modifications to address the Coronavirus-19 pandemic, with a focus on balancing the work system, in order to benefit patients and MI staff.
Conclusion: A systems approach, such as the SEIPS model, is useful for understanding barriers, risks and opportunities for improvement of IPC in MI. Future studies should address individuals’ decision-making processes in the MI setting, and a greater focus should be placed into the procedural steps, education and tools used for contrast media administration.
Biography: Dr Yobelli Jimenez is a Lecturer in the Discipline of Medical Imaging Science at the University of Sydney. Dr Jimenez spent the first 6 years of her career working as a radiation therapist at Westmead Hospital. Dr Jimenez completed her PhD in the field of education using virtual reality tools. She has a strong interest in education research, currently working on projects involving education of infection control in medical imaging, radiation therapy education for women with breast cancer, student wellbeing and ethics education.