Post-Outbreak Debriefing
Once an outbreak has been declared to be cleared or over, it is important that a full debrief of the event is undertaken. As normal operations return, reflect on the response to the outbreak and undertake a review of how the outbreak management practices could be improved. In order to get good feedback, it is important that the debrief is undertaken in an honest and open way.
Reflection helps by providing an opportunity to
Identify strengths and weaknesses of the outbreak response
Create a formal avenue for resident and employee feedback
Thank the employees for their hard work and contribution to containing and managing the outbreak
Investigate processes to ensure management of future outbreaks is improved
PREVENT future outbreaks
It is important that all employees from all areas can participate in the debrief. If an employee is unable to participate in debriefing, a mechanism should be provided for feedback.
Focus questions
What were the positive outcomes from the outcome investigation?
What was learned from the investigation, and where can improvements be made?
How successful were the outbreak teams' collaboration and communication?
How useful were the outbreak management guidelines in assisting the investigation?
How can recommendations improve the conduct of future investigations?
Future changes
Findings identified during the debriefing may result in changing needs for the following
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Infection control quality improvement plan |
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Policy and procedure review |
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Outbreak management plan |
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Mandatory and ongoing education |