Low Adherence to Infection Prevention Practices for Nursing Home Residents In and Out of Isolation, a VA Study Finds

​A study published in the June 2018 issue of Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology found healthcare providers in nursing homes practiced less-than-optimal infection prevention behavior when visiting residents both in and out of isolation. Researchers studied eight Veteran's Administration nursing homes across six states for 15 months and accumulated a total of almost 1,000 hours of observation. Residents in isolation received 12.4% more visits from healthcare providers than those not in isolation and received more resident care activities, likely because isolated residents require more assistance. Healthcare providers' compliance with infection prevention precautions was low when visiting isolated residents, at 34% for donning gowns and 58% for wearing gloves.