Posted: February 23rd, 2023

Blood borne pathogens (BBPs)

Blood borne pathogens (BBPs) pose a significant risk to healthcare professionals, including medical students and residents who rotate through hospitals. Accidental exposures to BBPs can result in severe health consequences, including the transmission of diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. The collection and tracking of data related to BBP exposures are critical for identifying areas of improvement and implementing evidence-based practices (EBP) to prevent future exposures. In this paper, we will discuss an EBP project focused on reducing the number of BBP exposures in medical students and residents at UPH-Meriter over a six-month period.

Background
UPH-Meriter is a teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Wisconsin Medical School. Medical students and residents rotate through UPH-Meriter as part of their clinical training. The hospital collects and tracks data related to BBP exposures using an incident reporting system. However, the hospital identified a need to improve the communication of this data with the University of Wisconsin Medical School to provide medical students with additional education to reduce their risk of BBP exposures.

EBP Project
The goal of this EBP project is to reduce the number of BBP exposures in medical students and residents at UPH-Meriter over a six-month period. The project will involve the implementation of an investigation tool and improved communication with the University of Wisconsin Medical School. The investigation tool will be used to collect and analyze data related to BBP exposures, identify areas of improvement, and implement evidence-based interventions. The improved communication with the University of Wisconsin Medical School will provide medical students with additional education to reduce their risk of BBP exposures.

The EBP process involves reviewing, analyzing, and translating the latest scientific evidence into clinical practice (Dang et al., 2022). In this project, we will use the EBP process to identify evidence-based interventions that have been shown to reduce BBP exposures in healthcare professionals. We will also consider clinical experience and patient preferences to develop interventions that are feasible and acceptable to medical students and residents.

Assessment
Over a six-month period, we will evaluate whether increased communication and sharing of tracked data with the University of Wisconsin Medical School has resulted in a reduction of BBP exposures in medical students and residents that rotate through UPH-Meriter. We will use the incident reporting system to collect data on BBP exposures and track changes over time. We will also gather feedback from medical students and residents on the effectiveness of the interventions implemented.

Conclusion
Reducing BBP exposures in healthcare professionals is critical for protecting the health and safety of medical students, residents, and patients. Implementing evidence-based interventions and improving communication with medical schools can help to reduce the risk of BBP exposures. This EBP project at UPH-Meriter aims to reduce the number of BBP exposures in medical students and residents over a six-month period by implementing an investigation tool and improving communication with the University of Wisconsin Medical School. The Assessment of this project will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of these interventions and inform future efforts to reduce BBP exposures in healthcare professionals.

References
Dang, D., Dearholt, S., Bissett, K., Ascenzi, J., Whalen, M. (2022). Evidence-Based Practice: Context, Concerns, and Challenges. Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice for Nurses and Healthcare Professionals Model and Guidelines, 4e.

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