“Facebook for Healthcare-Associated Infections” – an Infection Prevention Tool Implemented by the Tennesssee Department of Health

Background: Communication between the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) and infection preventionists (IPs) throughout the state is a critical component of monitoring healthcare-associated infections.  Dissemination of up to date information to IPs and having a mechanism in place for the IPs to ask questions and share problems that develop is a high priority.  Email list serves are expensive and can be cumbersome as members often have to read many messages that do not apply to them and files can sometimes be too large to attach to email.

Objective:   Develop a secure and cost efficient online resource where the Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) section at TDH and IPs in Tennessee (TN) can communicate, post information, and learn from one another.

Methods: TDH created an online workspace at Ning.com.  IPs were encouraged to join the site both through emails and during monthly phone calls for state users of the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).  Specific working groups were created on the site which members can join if they are interested in specific topics.  These include groups for surveillance of multiple types of infections reported to NHSN as well as groups on other topics such as information technology, performance improvement, and the Emerging Infections Program (EIP).  TDH maintains administration rights and has to approve all new members to maintain the security of the site and keep it closed from the press and general public.  As this is classified as a social networking site some facility computer systems have blocked access.  Thus, a form letter explaining the purpose of the site was provided to IPs at these facilities to submit to their administration and request approval.

Results: The TN HAI workspace now has 180 members and 10 working groups.  TDH has used the site to post important event dates, recruit for EIP studies, and disseminate educational material regarding monitoring and reporting HAIs.  Slide sets too large for email are often posted to the site.  In turn, IPs have utilized the site to ask questions to TDH, discuss problems encountered, and share information with each other enabling them to learn from their colleagues’ experiences.  The cost of the site has been a fraction of the cost that would have been required for TDH to build its own online website.  Providing the letter from TDH to hospital administrators has been very successful in obtaining approval for IPs to access the site. 

Conclusions: Utilization of a social network site has proved to be a secure, cost efficient, and time efficient method for communication between TDH and IPs in the state of TN.  The online workspace has been an invaluable tool in providing resources to IPs and their participation in the site has been excellent.  We will continue to look for new ways to take advantage of the site which can be of further benefit to IPs across the state.