What is the focus of Infection Control in quality management?

The focus of Infection Control in quality management is on outcomes and prevention of illness transmission. This area emphasizes the importance of implementing effective measures to minimize the risk of infections within healthcare settings. By prioritizing the prevention of disease transmission, Infection Control aims to protect both patients and healthcare staff, ensuring a safer environment.

This includes developing and enforcing protocols related to hygiene, sterilization of equipment, and proper handling of potentially infectious materials. The overall goal is to reduce the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), which can lead to significant morbidity and mortality, lengthen hospital stays, and increase healthcare costs.

The other options, while relevant to healthcare in general, do not encapsulate the primary purpose of infection control. For example, reducing operational costs or analyzing therapeutic effectiveness pertains to broader aspects of healthcare management and quality improvement but does not specifically address the fundamental objectives of infection control practices. Similarly, ensuring protocols for staff training is important, yet it is a means to achieve the ultimate goal of preventing illness transmission rather than an end in itself.