Extent of Inclusion of "Rural" in Comprehensive Cancer Control Plans in the United States.

Introduction: The National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program requires states, territories, and tribal organizations to develop comprehensive cancer control plans (CCCPs). In 2019, the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services released a series of policy recommendations, including one recommending that CCCPs address rural cancer disparities. The objective of our study was to assess the extent to which jurisdictions considered "rural" in their CCCPs.

The Intersection of Rural Residence and Minority Race/Ethnicity in Cancer Disparities in the United States.

One in every twenty-five persons in America is a racial/ethnic minority who lives in a rural area. Our objective was to summarize how racism and, subsequently, the social determinants of health disproportionately affect rural racial/ethnic minority populations, provide a review of the cancer disparities experienced by rural racial/ethnic minority groups, and recommend policy, research, and intervention approaches to reduce these disparities. We found that rural Black and American Indian/Alaska Native populations experience greater poverty and lack of access to care, which expose them to greater risk of developing cancer and experiencing poorer cancer outcomes in treatment and ultimately survival.

Pricing for safety and quality in healthcare: A discussion paper.

Introduction: Increasingly, over the past decade, there has been a global shift in healthcare away from fixed "fee for service" payment mechanisms towards value-based reimbursement models rewarding safety and quality patient outcomes. Curbing the burgeoning costs of healthcare while incentivising higher quality and safer patient care are key drivers of this approach. At face value, this is clearly a worthwhile endeavour.

OR Air Quality: Is It Time to Consider Adjunctive Air Cleaning Technology?: 1.3 www.aornjournal.org/content/cme.

Patients undergoing surgery may be at risk for infection from airborne particles such as dust, skin scales, respiratory aerosols, and hair fibers emanating from multiple sources in the OR, including personnel, heater-cooler devices, and surgical smoke. This risk is increased in surgical patients undergoing procedures involving implanted devices. Surgical personnel also are at risk from exposure to surgical smoke, which can contain viable viral particles including human papillomavirus infection.

The serious and ongoing issue of needlestick in Australian healthcare settings.

Australian healthcare workers and especially nurses repeatedly have their safety and health jeopardized through occupational exposures to blood and body fluids. Percutaneous or needlestick injuries are especially concerning and consistent. The purpose of this article is to again draw attention to the serious and costly issue of needlestick injuries in Australian healthcare settings.

The APIC research agenda: results from a national survey.

Background: Research is an integral component of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) Strategic Plan 2020. As the role of the infection preventionist (IP) has evolved toward consumers and implementers of research, it becomes increasingly necessary to assess which topics require further evidence and how best APIC can assist IPs. In 2010, APIC determined that the research priorities first described in 2000 needed to be re-evaluated.

Moving evidence from the literature to the bedside: report from the APIC Research Task Force.

Research is an integral component of the mission of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). In January 2010, APIC 's Board of Directors decided to update and clarify the Association's approach to research. The purpose of this paper is to briefly review the history of APIC's role in research and to report on the recent vision and direction developed by a research task force regarding appropriate roles and contributions for APIC and its members in regards to research.

Preventing catheter-related bloodstream infections: an executive summary of the APIC elimination guide.

This article is an executive summary of the APIC Elimination Guide for catheter-related bloodstream infections. Infection preventionists are encouraged to obtain the original, full-length APIC Elimination Guide for more thorough coverage of catheter-related bloodstream infections prevention.

Health care-associated bloodstream infections associated with negative- or positive-pressure or displacement mechanical valve needleless connectors.

Background: Health care-associated, central venous catheter-related bloodstream infections (HA-BSIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Needleless connectors (NCs) are an important component of the intravenous system. NCs initially were introduced to reduce health care worker needlestick injuries, yet some of these NCs may increase HA-BSI risk.

Legislative mandates for use of active surveillance cultures to screen for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci: Position statement from the Joint SHEA and APIC Task Force.

Legislation aimed at controlling antimicrobial-resistant pathogens through the use of active surveillance cultures to screen hospitalized patients has been introduced in at least 2 US states. In response to the proposed legislation, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc., (APIC) have developed this joint position statement.

Legislative mandates for use of active surveillance cultures to screen for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci: position statement from the Joint SHEA and APIC Task Force.

Legislation aimed at controlling antimicrobial-resistant pathogens through the use of active surveillance cultures to screen hospitalized patients has been introduced in at least 2 US states. In response to the proposed legislation, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and the Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) have developed this joint position statement. Both organizations are dedicated to combating healthcare-associated infections with a wide array of methods, including the use of active surveillance cultures in appropriate circumstances.

The 2003 SARS outbreak: global challenges and innovative infection control measures.

In early 2003, the global infection control community faced a great challenge, sudden acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The rapid spread of SARS, its capacity to infect health care workers, and its many unknown features in the early days of the outbreak meant that health care workers were unsure of the most effective methods of infection control to prevent disease transmission. These conditions made designing appropriate, effective and standard infection control responses difficult.

Assessing the status of infection control programs in small rural hospitals in the western United States.

Background: Organized infection control (IC) interventions have been successful in reducing the acquisition of hospital-associated infections. Rural community hospitals, although contributing significantly to the US health care system, have rarely been assessed regarding the nature and quality of their IC programs.

Methods: A sample of 77 small rural hospitals in Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and eastern Washington completed a written survey in 2000 regarding IC staffing, infrastructure support, surveillance of nosocomial infections, and IC policies and practices.