Assignment task:
You work in a 100 bed rehabilitation hospital and have been called to a meeting by the Chief Executive. Patients stay at the facility for extended periods of time, and are cared for by Rehabilitation specialists, General Practitioners, nurses, and Allied health such as physiotherapy and Occupational therapy. Additionally there are many staff in various roles that run the facility, and assist in patient excursions and transfer to the local acute services hospital if they become unwell.
There is concern that over the month of July there was a significant increase in diagnosis of Influenza in your facility. This is affecting patients, their visitors and staffing of healthcare workers and support staff.
You have been asked to design a program for surveillance of Influenza and suggest some control measures that could be instituted, and the Chief Executive would like you to answer the following questions.
1. What could be a possible case definition for healthcare-associated influenza?
2. What populations will you institute surveillance for in the facility and why?
3. What data sources will you need for your surveillance program? Need Online Tutoring?
4. How will you work out if the Influenza cases are a problem for the facility?
5. What control measures may be relevant for the patients and the staff of the facility?