Infection prevention and control: Guideline for speech pathologists, Version 1,2020.

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associated organisations. State and Territory Health Departments may use the guidance as a reference for specific speech pathology infection prevention and control related risks. In the guideline, ‘healthcare’ is a general term used to refer to the activities a speech pathologist undertakes in the management and delivery of assessment, therapeutic and educational services, regardless of the setting. The term client is also used and applies to both patients and residents. Wherever recommendations are made for ‘speech pathologists’ or ‘health practitioners’ within service delivery, these should be taken to refer to both qualified professionals and speech pathologists in training (students). To determine the governance and implementation of infection prevention and control strategies within a speech pathology service, see Checklist A: An implementation checklist for infection prevention and control strategies within a speech pathology service. The checklist will provide the speech pathology service to perform a gap analysis to: • deliver high-quality client care, protect speech pathologists and safeguard the work environment, speech pathologists should establish an informed and considered response to infection prevention and control. • meet the following National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards: 1.6 National Standards 3.1 The workforce uses the safety and quality systems from the Clinical Governance Standard when: a. Implementing policies and procedures for healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial stewardship. b. Managing risks associated with healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial stewardship. c. Identifying training requirements for preventing and controlling healthcare-associated infections, and antimicrobial stewardship. 3.2 The health service organisation applies the quality improvement system from the Clinical Governance Standard when: a. Monitoring the performance of systems for prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections, and the effectiveness of the antimicrobial stewardship program. b. Implementing strategies to improve outcomes and associated processes of systems for prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections, and antimicrobial stewardship c. Reporting on the outcomes of prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections, and the antimicrobial stewardship program. 3.3 Clinicians use organisational processes from the Partnering with Consumers Standard when preventing and managing healthcare-associated infections, and implementing the antimicrobial stewardship program to: a. actively involve patients in their own care b. meet the patient’s information needs c. share decision-making.

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Infection Prevention and Control - Guideline for Speech Pathologists | Version 1, 2020