A study led by Mary Jo Knobloch, MPH, researcher, Infectious Disease, analyzed the impact of regular leadership rounds on infection control.

Leadership rounding - in which hospital executives, frontline staff and clinicians discuss day-to-day experiences and challenges on the wards - can facilitate communications that are helpful to advancing infection control measures.

The study analyzed leadership rounds held over a span of seven months, finding 250 instances across 22 rounds in which staff and executives discussed problems and potential solutions for hospital-acquired infections.

“By fostering an open culture, health leaders are able to problem solve with frontline staff to determine barriers to implementation,” said Knobloch.

“This presents the opportunity to move evidence to practice and better protect patients from harm.”

Resources:

• Knobloch MJ, Chewning B, Musuuza J, Rees S, Green C, Patterson E, Safdar N. 2018. Leadership rounds to reduce health care-associated infections. Am J Infect Control. 46(3):303-310.
• "Regular meetings between nurse managers and frontline bring infection control benefits," Nursing Times, April 25, 2018
• "Leadership rounds could encourage open dialogue on infection control, study finds," May 1, 2018
• "Control infections with leadership rounding," Health Management, May 9, 2018

Photo credit (top): Jeff Miller/UW-Madison