The Role of the Infection Control Team

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Each organization is unique and its specific needs must be considered when developing an infection
control program. Because of these differing needs, there may be varying individuals, groups, and
functions within the organization that are assigned responsibility for the program. However, as a general
rule, the core of the infection prevention and control program is comprised of the infection control
professional, the chair of the infection prevention and control committee, and/or the health-care
epidemiologist. Also vital to the team membership is the individual who is responsible on an institutional
level for employee health or administration. Another important consideration, given that the scope of
hospitals has grown to include ambulatory care sites and specialty areas such as home care, is the
criticality of incorporating these areas into the overall infection prevention and control program. The
infection control team is ultimately responsible for carrying out all aspects of the infection prevention and
control program.
A highly effective method of expanding front-line staff involvement in the program is the designation of
infection control liaisons. These infection control liaisons can facilitate consistent communication
between a department/unit/clinic and the infection control professional. Pertinent area directors can
appoint liaisons. Liaisons can facilitate the following functions:
♦ Posting appropriate correspondence, including newsletters within work areas
♦ Informing staff members of changes in infection control practice or the addition of patient care
equipment that requires reprocessing
♦ Notifying infection control staff members of unusual infection trends or of exposures to
communicable diseases, such as chickenpox
♦ Notifying infection control staff of diseases that require reporting to the Health Department
♦ Assisting in the coordination of the scheduling of infection control inservices
Providing an added infection control resource in their areas
♦ Notifying the infection control team of changes in or additions to patient care equipment or
procedures that may have infection control implications