An Online Training Module in Infection Control for Temporary Clinic Volunteers

The recent increase in healthcare-associated infection (HAI) outbreaks in outpatient settings underscores the need for increased emphasis on infection prevention and control in these settings. Data from outbreak reports reveal a lack of staff knowledge about infection control recommendations and adherence to proven infection control standards. Temporary outpatient clinic settings pose unique challenges in promoting safe infection control practices because they lack the infrastructure and resources to ensure compliance with current practice standards and the staff frequently includes volunteers that lack formal training in infection control. This gap provides the rationale for the educational intervention described in this paper. An online infection control training module was developed and placed on the Training Finder Real-Time Affiliate Integrated Network (TRAIN), a web-based educational platform maintained by the Virginia Department of Health. The narrated module included a review of evidence-based infection control strategies, a post-test and course evaluation. The feasibility of the online training module was evaluated using the five domains of the RE-AIM model: Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance. An online infection control training program tailored for temporary clinic volunteers was successfully completed by student participants. Evaluation data obtained from participants indicated the program was successful in addressing the five dimensions of the RE-AIM framework. An online training module is a feasible means of educating temporary clinics volunteers about infection control. There is a need for further research to determine the utility of an online training module in promoting safe infection control practices.