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​"An estimated one in nine Canadian patients develops a healthcare-associated infection during his or her hospital stay — a total of 220,000 patients per year. Further, an estimated 8,000 Canadians will lose their lives from these infections every year" (Zoutman et al, 2003). The cost of infections — more than $100 million annually in healthcare spending to treat C.difficile, MRSA and surgical site infections alone, plus tremendous emotional and financial tolls on patients, families and healthcare organizations — barely stirs a response (Njoo, 2014). For the safety of Canadians, this has to change.

Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Summit

Together the Canadian Patient Safety Institute and the Public Health Agency of Canada hosted a national infection prevention and control (IPAC) summit in November 2014 in Toronto, Ontario. Over 40 participants came together to advance IPAC practices and reduce healthcare-associated infections in Canada. The themes arising from the summit are: culture and behavior change; partnering with patients and families; measurement and surveillance; applying knowledge and implementing standards; and sharing and developing standards/best practices/policies.  The actions developed to galvanize change within those themes are captured in the summit report: An Infection Prevention and Control Action Plan.

Action ​Organizations Consulted

​An Environmental Scan of Behaviour Change Campaigns: Recommendations for the Canadian Patient Safety Institute

  • ​IPAC Canada
  • Patients for Patient Safety Canada
  • Atlantic Health Quality and Patient Safety Collaborative
  • NB Health Council
  • Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists
  • Canadian Patient Safety Institute
  • Canadian Patient Safety Institute: Infection Prevention and Control Faculty
  • Institut national de santé publique du Québec
  • Ministry of Health, Alberta
  • Ministry of Health, Manitoba
  • Ministry of Health, Newfoundland
  • Ministry of Health, Prince Edward Island
  • Ministry of Health, Saskatchewan
  • Ministry of Health, Yukon
  • Office of the PHO - Ministry of Health
  • Public Health Ontario
  • Network of Networks
  • Canadian Medical Protective Association
Pan-Canadian Healthcare Infection Surveillance Definition Standardization Project: Long Term Care Infection Surveillance Definitions
  • Accreditation Canada
  • Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Canada
  • Canadian Patient Safety Institute
  • Centre for Communicable Disease and Infection Control, Public Health
  • Agency of Canada
  • Infection Prevention and Control Canada
​Encourage all acute-care hospitals in Canada to adopt the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program ( CNISP ) Healthcare Associate Infections case definitions in order to provide comprehensive national, regional, provincial and local HAI rates.
  • ​Centre for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control (CCDIC)
  • Public Health Agency of Canada
  • Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease (AMMI)
  • Infection Prevention and Control Canada
    Canadian Patient Safety Institute

Check back for progress updates on the Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Action Plan.​