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Updated Healthcare Epidemiology Agenda Reveals Priorities for Sustained , Focused and Funded Research
By Kelly M . Pyrek
While it can take as many as 17 years for research to be accepted and implemented , it is essential for the infection prevention and healthcare epidemiology community to have a relevant , timely and forward-thinking roadmap to follow as clinical knowledge evolves and is applied at the bedside .
An updated research agenda which addresses the evolving landscape of healthcare epidemiology as well as tackles the gaps in knowledge was recently issued by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America ( SHEA )’ s research committee . Their goal was to identify high-priority research topics and make recommendations to advance the field of healthcare epidemiology .
SHEA ’ s research committee members developed questions related to topics in need of “ sustained , focused , and funded research ” to improve patient and healthcare personnel ( HCP ) safety through prevention of healthcare-associated infections ( HAIs ). These questions were posed to SHEA Research Network ( SRN ) participants in a survey in which respondents ranked broad topic categories and subsequently scored specific research questions on their ability to improve healthcare safety .
This agenda , outlined in a paper by Kwon , et al . ( 2024 ), was not necessarily inclusive of all research topics in the broad scope of healthcare epidemiology , infection prevention , and antimicrobial stewardship , the authors emphasize , and that “ researchers investigating questions beyond those included in this study should continue their important work ,” they advise .
12 • www . healthcarehygienemagazine . com • december 2024