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Fall 2022

Public Health Ontario Online Learning

Looking to build or expand your knowledge in IPAC best practices? Public Health Ontario has a variety of education resources targeted at different health care settings and practices available.  Check out their learning resources on IPAC core competencies and reprocessing, as well as specialized knowledge for different environments, including congregate living settings

• Putting on PPE Video – Step-by-step demonstration of how to properly put on full personal protective equipment.
• Taking off PPE Video - Step-by-step demonstration of how to properly take off full personal protective equipment.
• Additional Precaution Signage (HTML)
• How to Put On Personal Protective Equipment (PDF, signage)
• How to Take Off Personal Protective Equipment (PDF, signage)
• Implementing Personal Protective Equipment Audits in Health Care Settings (PDF) – presentation slides that provide a refresher on best practices for personal protective equipment (PPE) use; an overview of the importance of auditing as a tool for practice improvements in health-care settings in addition to other supports (e.g. education, removal of barriers, etc.)
• Auditing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Use (PDF) - The purpose of this form is to identify gaps in PPE donning and doffing and can be used when auditing Health Care Worker (HCWs)/Staff and other individuals.  This will allow an opportunity for on-the-spot feedback based on the auditor’s observations as well as data collection to help create immediate and long-term improvements. 
• Supporting the Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Audit Form (PDF) - This forms helps guide individuals or designates (responsible for the oversight of the IPAC program) in carrying out personal protective equipment (PPE) assessments within health-care settings. The purpose of the assessment is to determine whether supports (such as training and products) are in place to enable safe and effective use of PPE by health-care workers/staff and other individuals. The form can be adapted to based on the needs of the health-care setting
• Best Practice - Routine Practices and Additional Precautions (PDF) - This document outlines the practice of Routine Practices and Additional Precautions (RP/AP) in health care settings across the continuum of care (see below) including, but not limited to, pre-hospital care, acute care, complex continuing care, rehabilitation facilities, long-term care, chronic care, ambulatory care and home health care
• PCRA Risk Assessment Appendix B (PDF) - is resource is an excerpt from the Best Practices for Routine Practices and Additional Precautions (Appendix B) and was reformatted for ease of use

• Handwashing (horizontal)
  Hand sanitizer (vertical)
• Public Health Ontario - Just Clean your Hands (HTML) Videos - These videos will help you train staff on proper hand hygiene practices and implement the Just Clean Your Hands program
• Public Health Ontario - Best Practices Hand Hygiene (PDF) - This document provides infection prevention and control practices for: knowing why and when to perform hand hygiene , understanding barriers and enablers that might influence hand hygiene, choosing hand hygiene agents and applying the correct hand hygiene techniques
• Public Health Ontario - Hand Hygiene 4 Moment Feedback Tool (PDF)
• Public Health Ontario - Rise to the Occasion - IPAC activities (PDF)  - The activities in this planning toolkit can be used to raise awareness about IPAC practices.
• APIC Infection Prevention and You Resources (HTML)
• CDC Clean Hands Count Campaign (HTML) - May 5 is World Hand Hygiene Day!  The Clean Hands Count campaign aims to Improve healthcare provider adherence to CDC hand hygiene recommendations; address the myths and misperceptions about hand hygiene and empower patients to play a role in their care by asking or reminding healthcare providers to clean their hands.
• CDC Clean Hands Save Lives (HTML) – Resources promoting hand hygiene in congregate settings and the community.
• Escape Room for Client Safety Week (PDF) - a live-action team-based game where players cooperatively discover clues, solve puzzles, and accomplish tasks in order to progress and accomplish a specific goal in a limited amount of time.
• IPAC Canada Hand Hygiene (HTML)
• PICNet's Infection Control Week ToolKit (HTML) – The Provincial Infection Control Network of British Columbia (PICNet) has created this toolkit to help you plan and promote your activities for International Infection Prevention Week and/or National Infection Control Week.  The toolkit contains many ideas for fun and educational things you can do, as well as estimates of preparation time and cost.

• APH poster: Proper cleaning and disinfection practice

• APH poster: Preparing household bleach as a disinfectant

• Chlorine Dilution Calculator (HTML)
• IPAC Canada Audit Tool - Routine Cleaning of Patient Rooms (PDF)
• Public Health Ontario - FAQ Sheet Electrostatic Spray Disinfection Systems (PDF)
• Public Health Ontario - Key Elements of Environmental Cleaning in Healthcare Settings (PDF)
• Public Health Ontario - PIDAC_ BestPHO Practices for Environmental Cleaning for Prevention and Control of Infections (PDF) Information is provided on best practices for the cleaning and disinfection of the physical environment in health care as they relate to the prevention and control of infections. It also deals with the cleaning and disinfecting of noncritical equipment (i.e., equipment that only comes into contact with intact skin)
• Public Health Ontario -  Infection Prevention and Control for Environmental Cleaning in Health Care Online Learning Modules (HTML) These online learning modules are intended for stakeholders seeking education and training on IPAC and environmental cleaning. They are intended for both frontline environmental service workers and managers, as well as infection control professionals working in all health care settings.

Guidance documents provide a broad overview of infection prevention and control practices for various congregate living settings. These documents include best practices, guidelines, and print-ready resources from various evidence-based sources of IPAC information. These documents are meant to guide decision-making for specific topics, training, and education.

• Ministry of Health – Ministry of Health COVID-19 Guidance: Long-Term Care Homes, Retirement Homes, and Other Congregate Living Settings for Public Health Units This document provides local public health units (PHUs) guidance to support case, contact and outbreak management in long-term care homes (LTCHs), retirement homes (RHs), and other higher-risk CLSs that fall under the definition of “institution” in subsection s.21(1) of the Health Protection and Promotion Act (HPPA) AND serve populations who are at increased risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19
• Ministry of Health - Control of Respiratory Infection Outbreaks in Long-Term Care Homes this document has been developed to support public health’s work with long-term care and retirement homes in managing their outbreaks, and provides guidance on infection control measures.
• Ministry of Health – Control of Gastrointestinal Infection Outbreaks in Long-Term Care Homes The purpose of the document is to assist LTCHs before, during, and after a gastroenteritis outbreak and to minimize illness, hospitalization, and death, related to gastroenteritis outbreaks in LTCHs.
• PIDAC – Best Practices for IPAC Best practice documents are intended for use by health care providers and facilities/organizations providing health care including hospitals, long-term care homes and community-based health care organizations. Recommendations in best practice documents are developed through reviews of literature and consultations with experts in infectious disease, surveillance, communicable disease and immunization.
• IPAC Canada – Infection Control standards Canadian, international and provincial guidelines, policies and standards that Infection Prevention and Control professionals may use to support their own documentation and best practices.
• PHO – IPAC online learning modules Looking to build or expand your knowledge in IPAC best practices? Public Health Ontario has a variety of education resources targeted at different health care settings and practices available through our Learning Management System (LMS) or through our website. Check out our learning resources on IPAC core competencies and reprocessing, as well as specialized knowledge for different environments, including hospitals, long-term care homes, and community health care settings. The target audience for each course or resource is indicated in the list below to help you determine which is most relevant to you.
• PHO - Health Care Huddles – IPAC checkpoints This resource is designed for infection prevention and control (IPAC) leads at long-term care homes and congregate settings, such as retirement homes, to assist them with providing reminders of key IPAC information at shift-change meetings or huddles, especially for new employees.
• PHO - Recommendations for Prevention, Detection, and Management of Occupational Contact Dermatitis in Health Care Settings This document provides a series of recommendations for the prevention, early detection and management of occupational contact dermatitis in health care workers (HCWs).