EVENT PREVIEW Health and the Environment (RIVM), the Netherlands; and International burden of norovirus in healthcare facilities and strategies for outbreak control by Dr Ben Lopman, epidemiologist at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, USA. There will also be themed sessions on MRSA and Clostridium difficile. BOOSTING COMPLIANCE With a number of advances in the use of surveillance data by infection prevention specialists, one fascinating talk will be on Healthcare epidemiology/surveillance and infection technology in infection prevention and control. One of the most popular sessions is sure to be Challenges in decontamination, while other topics include Challenges in infection control with blood-borne viruses and Quality improvement and infection prevention – it’s more than guidelines and bundles. Despite there being a good awareness of infection prevention practices, compliance is still a major issue so a session will take place on Behavioural strategies in infection prevention and control, looking at the human factors that need to be addressed to improve practice. Other lectures include Socio-cultural aspects of infection prevention and control, Hand hygiene, beyond technical problems and Impact of organisations on healthcare-associated infection. A highlight of the final morning’s themed
sessions will focus on the rapidly expanding topic of Whole genome sequencing. There will also be talks on infection prevention and control in particular areas, in long-term care and in specialised settings. Lecture topics will include Infection control in burns units and Healthcare-associated infection in long-term care facilities. In the afternoon, delegates will have the opportunity to hear a debate on [High-tech decontamination of the environment] and to learn more about Controversies in prevention and diagnosis of infection in cystic fibrosis. One of the highlights of HIS 2014 is the Society’s annual Lowbury Lecture, which was established to honour Professor Edward Lowbury. Professor Lowbury was the doyen of modern infection control and his work on fundamental matters such as the disinfection of hands and cleaning hospital floors is known across the world and is still pertinent today. Each year, HIS invites a distinguished international speaker to give this eponymous lecture and we are delighted that Professor Wing-Hong Seto will be 2014’s Lowbury lecturer, speaking on[Airborne transmission and precaution – facts and myths. Professor Seto played a key role in initiating infection control in Hong Kong and established the local training course for infection control practitioners in 1985. He is also a founding fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine
and Hong Kong College of Pathologists, and director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Research, Training and Outbreak Response in Infection Control in Hong Kong. HIS believes in promoting and developing the science of infection prevention and control. To this end, we award a number of research grants each year and on the final day of the conference there will be an opportunity to learn about the research done by recent recipients.
Infection Control
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THE EXHIBITION HIS 2014 will feature a large exhibition of cutting-edge technology, and a wide range of infection prevention products and services. Many of the companies exhibiting are new to HIS conferences, which will add an extra dimension of interest. Continuing professional development Our international conference is always a notable event in the HIS calendar but it is also an important part of our objective to deliver a range of educational activities and disseminate information to help equip healthcare professionals in the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections. Once again, the conference has achieved accreditation from the Royal College of Pathologists and the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.his.org.uk/conference
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