The SNF GHI is supporting the Greek Infection Prevention Program (GRIPP-SNF), a five-year (2021 to 2026) program delivering training to health care workers across Greece on basic and advanced principles of infection prevention and control and working across ten of the country’s largest public hospitals with the goal of improving prevention and control of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
GRIPP-SNF has, to date, undertaken a comprehensive set of activities working toward this goal, including offering certified nurse training, strengthening infection control committees, developing modern strategies to reduce HAIs and AMR, and establishing systematic monitoring for the recording of infections through a single electronic platform across the selected hospitals. Trainings cover techniques and methods for hospital infection reduction measures in a way that can be integrated into the daily work of health care staff. The program aims at a 35% reduction in HAIs relative to 2021 levels within five years and is fully underway.
The selection, induction training, and placement of ten Infection Prevention Nurses to strengthen services at the selected hospitals have been completed. These nurses have been fully integrated into the hospitals and coordinate the recording of hospital-acquired infection data on the new, fully operational monitoring platform, on which hospital staff are able to log the most important HAIs and to which further enhancements are added regularly. Design of the intervention clusters to be implemented in the ten hospitals has also progressed, in collaboration with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (ΙΗΙ).
The infection prevention and control trainings are implemented in three cycles each year via NKUA-KEDIVIM EASY-EDUCATION, with broad participation by nurses from all over the country.
GRIPP-SNF is implemented by the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Outcomes Research (CLEO), working in collaboration with the National Organization for Quality Assurance in Health (O.D.I.P.Y.), the Hellenic National Public Health Organization (EODY), and NKUA’s Nursing Department through the electronic platform of the Center of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning (KEDIVIM).
Relevant legislation:
• Greek law no. 4568/2018, as subsequently amended
• Greek law no. 4655/2020
