Module information
Module details
- Title
- Infection Prevention and Control, and Public Health
- Type
- Specialist
- Module code
- S-CM-S4
- Credits
- 10
- Phase
- 3
- Requirement
- Compulsory
Aim of this module
This module will provide trainees with an overview of the wider public health actions associated with notifiable diseases and notifiable pathogens and the use of epidemiology to support routine surveillance and outbreak management.
Work-based content
Training activities
| # | Learning outcome | Training activity | Type | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # 1 | Learning outcome 1,7 |
Training activities
Investigate an outbreak or case of suspected cross-transmission in an institutional setting and formulate a management plan |
Type DTA | Action View |
| # 2 | Learning outcome 2 |
Training activities
Create an outbreak report using descriptive epidemiological methods |
Type DTA | Action View |
| # 3 | Learning outcome 3 |
Training activities
Review a local emergency preparedness procedure for a potential novel or emerging pathogen or deliberate release scenario against best practice and suggest updates |
Type DTA | Action View |
| # 4 | Learning outcome 3 |
Training activities
Contribute to a clinical infection prevention and control audit and present the findings |
Type DTA | Action View |
| # 5 | Learning outcome 1,7 |
Training activities
Support a Health Protection investigation |
Type DTA | Action View |
| # 6 | Learning outcome 7 |
Training activities
Take part in the management of community acquired infectious diseases for groups that have been under-served and/or have experienced health inequality |
Type DTA | Action View |
| # 7 | Learning outcome 4 |
Training activities
Review data that improves antimicrobial stewardship in a local setting and present the findings and suggested improvement |
Type DTA | Action View |
| # 8 | Learning outcome 5 |
Training activities
Interpret typing results for a named pathogen in an outbreak or surveillance setting and make recommendations for action |
Type ETA | Action View |
| # 9 | Learning outcome 6, 7 |
Training activities
Arrange to send a sample to a reference lab for testing, interpret the results and determine actions |
Type ETA | Action View |
| # 10 | Learning outcome 1,7 |
Training activities
Contribute to a multi-agency response to an outbreak in a non-healthcare setting |
Type DTA | Action View |
| # 11 | Learning outcome 3,6,7 |
Training activities
Interpret results from food, water, pharmaceutical or environmental microbiological testing and determine an action plan |
Type DTA | Action View |
Assessments
Complete 2 Case-Based Discussions
Complete 2 DOPS or OCEs
Direct Observation of Practical Skills Titles
- Interpret typing data from a potential outbreak.
- Interpret the epidemiology of an outbreak or incident, or epidemiological curve.
- Interpret the result from an environmental or food related test and determine clinical actions.
Observed Clinical Event Titles
- Complete a questionnaire from a case or contact in an outbreak setting.
- Provide results to at a meeting reviewing a healthcare associated infection.
Learning outcomes
| # | Learning outcome |
|---|---|
| 1 | Investigate outbreaks and public health incidents in a range of settings |
| 2 | Formulate reports contributing to management and monitoring of outbreaks and public health incidents using descriptive epidemiological methods |
| 3 | Interpret, apply and audit adherence to local, national and international policy and guidelines on infection control and prevention, and public health |
| 4 | Apply the principles of antimicrobial stewardship to ensure effective use of antimicrobials |
| 5 | Interpret pathogen typing results in the context of infection control and prevention and public health |
| 6 | Interpret the results of test carried out at reference laboratories and formulate a plan for actions |
| 7 | Practice in partnership with health protection and field services teams in the routine management of infectious diseases and surveillance of notifiable pathogens and diseases and in response to outbreaks and incidents |
Clinical experiences
Clinical experiences help you to develop insight into your practice and a greater understanding of your specialty's impact on patient care. Clinical experiences should be included in your training plan and you may be asked to help organise your experiences. Reflections and observations from your experiences may help you to advance your practice and can be used to develop evidence to demonstrate your awareness and appreciation of your specialty.
Activities
To develop a broader understanding of their specialty practice and support the completion of assessments and competencies, a trainee should;
- Visit a decontamination service or suite to appreciate the service provided and roles of the multidisciplinary team involved in providing the service.
- Shadow the estates team working with air handling units and water quality to appreciate their role in maintaining the infrastructure and environment.
- Shadow a Health Protection Team or Field Service Team to appreciate their role in managing and monitoring incidents which impact public health.
- Visit a community setting where infections, incidents or outbreaks are being monitored or managed to appreciate the role of the team involved, the work required and impact on public health.
- Attend an infection control committee meeting to appreciate the purpose of the committee and the team, and its governance role in infection control and prevention.
- Observe a sample being taken to assess microbiological safety of water or ventilation systems to appreciate the process.
- Attend a Water or Ventilation Safety Group to appreciate the implications of infection control in the built environment and the need to manage exposure risk.
Academic content (MSc in Clinical Science)
Important information
The academic parts of this module will be detailed and communicated to you by your university. Please contact them if you have questions regarding this module and its assessments. The module titles in your MSc may not be exactly identical to the work-based modules shown in the e-portfolio. Your modules will be aligned, however, to ensure that your academic and work-based learning are complimentary.
Learning outcomes
- Describe the microbiological methods used to maintain and monitor a safe environment in relation to food, water and the environment in community and hospital settings.
- Explain and justify the legal framework and the role of guidelines in environmental, food and water standards.
- Critically evaluate the role of the clinical microbiology laboratory, infection control team and other services in the decontamination, disinfection, and sterilisation of equipment in the hospital and primary care settings and the contribution to patient care.
- Critically appraise the epidemiology of community acquired infectious diseases for groups that have been under-served and/or have experienced health inequality.
- Describe the local and national emergency preparedness procedures and understand how the process of escalation occurs.
Indicative content
- Public health epidemiology, including study design and statistical data analysis.
- The use of whole genome sequencing and other genomic methods for epidemiology.
- The role of the laboratory in hospital and community-acquired outbreaks, including statutory notifications.
- Environmental, food and water standards.
- The legal framework and the role of guidelines
- The role of the environmental health officer.
- Food and water microbiology methodology and interpretation of results.
- Importance of maintaining a safe environment by design, surveillance, and maintenance and the role of estates or building management services.
- Environmental contamination by infectious agents: Prevention and detection
- Mechanisms of sterilisation, disinfection, and decontamination in the laboratory and clinical settings.
- Recognition of under-served populations or those who have experienced health inequality and understand the epidemiology and aetiology of infectious diseases in these populations.
- Emergency preparedness:
- Recognition and detection of a possible emerging infectious disease or deliberate release of a pathogen
- Understand mechanisms of escalation and the local and national bodies involved