“Governance” action area (G)

The “Governance” action area has a cross-disciplinary function. It can be understood as a series of strategic action approaches which the Confederation and its implementation partners want to tackle first in the individual action areas in order to achieve the global objective – a reduction in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).

Strategic objective

Nationally uniform standards and guidelines on HAI monitoring, prevention and control for hospitals and nursing homes have been developed and are regularly updated. The stakeholders know their responsibilities and roles and coordinate their activities. Hospitals and nursing homes have structures and processes in place for reducing HAIs. Strategy implementation is supported with suitable tools and positive incentives. Best practice knowledge is shared at regional, national and international levels.

Key measures

Develop evidence-based and best practice-oriented standards and guidelines (G-1)

On behalf of the Confederation, experts develop recommendations for guidelines and standards for HAI monitoring, prevention and control. These are based on scientific evidence (where available), and attention is paid to their feasibility. On that basis, authorities can adopt nationally uniform recommendations and regional or local amendments. The following topics have priority:

Minimum requirements for specialist staff
Data requirements, methods and standards for monitoring
Recommendations for data processing
Task-specific competences and learning objectives

Establish tasks and responsibilities, optimise structures (G-2)

Ways for optimising the current division of responsibilities are indicated on the basis of currently applicable responsibilities and stakeholders’ existing competences and experiences. Existing structures are used, consolidated and adapted (in terms of scope and resourcing) to the implementation of the NOSO Strategy.

Support implementation with suitable tools and positive incentives (G-3)

With appropriate implementation guidance, the Confederation arouses the interest of hospitals and nursing homes in the strategy’s concerns and facilitates uniform and resource-efficient implementation. The cantons are to periodically evaluate the implementation of measures taken on their territory and consider HAI reduction measures as a criterion in supervisory, planning and licensing processes. Safety and quality are to become the standard of institutions’ everyday work.

Knowledge management: Build up and expand knowledge (G-4)

Decentralised knowledge is pooled, geared to the respective target group and made publicly accessible. The knowledge transfer between theory and practice is secured and international cooperation is actively pushed.