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Featured research:
Changing international guidance to prevent infections.
Current research
Using improvement science to study the implementation of care bundles to prevent surgical site infection
This study uses an improvement science framework to explore barriers and enablers to the successful or unsuccessful implementation of SSI care bundles in English hospitals.
Compliance with patient warming interventions to prevent surgical site infection
In this study we are developing a process map of the patient’s journey through surgery, looking at potential risk areas for inadvertent hypothermia. We are also interviewing staff regarding attitudes towards patient warming and surgical site infection.
Completed projects
Identifying SSI rates using post discharge surveillance
This was one of the first studies to implement a robust, active post-discharge surveillance system for surgical site infection. Data collected on patients having colorectal surgery identified infection rates higher than those reported as part of national surveillance programmes. The study also identified high treatment costs in primary care.
Auditing the English national SSI surveillance programme
This study described an audit of 106 hospital trusts in England and how they collected data for the national surgical site infection surveillance programme. The audit found widespread differences in the definitions of SSI and the data collection methods used across the trusts, suggesting that it is not possible to use the national data for benchmarking.
Exploring the patient experience of having an SSI
This is the first study to use qualitative research to explore surgical site infections from the patient’s perspective. Patients interviewed were often unaware they had a wound infection and were poorly informed about the causes of SSIs. They described feeling isolated in primary care and going ‘from pillar to post’ to have developing infections diagnosed.
Implementing and evaluating care bundles to prevent SSI
This is the first study to evaluate the Department of Health’s Care Bundle to prevent SSIs. A surprise finding from this study was poor compliance with the bundle, which highlighted the importance of implementation science.