Guest Edited by:
Maaike van Mourik (University Medical Center, Netherlands)
Seven Aghdassi (Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany)
Description:
The aim of the thematic series is to collect works focusing on various aspects of automation in the field of surveillance of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) and infection prevention and control (IPC). The main focus of the edition will be placed on automated surveillance of HAI. However, a variety of other topics will be of interest to the journal as well. The following provides an orientation what will be considered in scope of the thematic series:
Automation of HAI surveillance
• Manuscripts may focus on any kind of HAI and may pertain to both institutional level (e.g. hospital) and beyond (e.g. national reference center)
• Manuscripts may focus of any degree of automation (e.g. fully automated versus semi-automated)
• Manuscripts on systems that are already implemented and routinely used or in an experimental phase will be preferred, merely conceptual descriptions will only be selected if they describe a vision that goes beyond implementation in individual hospitals
• Manuscripts delineating important prerequisites for automation or inventorising implementation of automated surveillance on a regional/national/international level will be considered
• Manuscripts focusing on validation of previously developed methods in new settings will be considered
• Manuscripts describing systems incorporating patient-reported measures are in scope (e.g. reporting through apps)
Automation of the detection of healthcare-associated clusters of microorganisms
• Manuscripts may pertain to both institutional level and beyond (e.g. national reference centre)
• Manuscripts may focus of any degree of automation (e.g. fully automated versus semi-automated)
• Manuscripts on systems that are already implemented and routinely used or in an experimental phase will be preferred, merely conceptual descriptions will only be selected if they describe a vision that goes beyond implementation in individual hospitals
• Manuscripts delineating important prerequisites for automation or inventorising implementation of automated cluster detection on a regional/national/international level will be considered
• Manuscripts focusing on validation of previously developed methods in new settings will be considered
Automation of other IPC activities
• The use of intelligent software or machine learning methods in field of IPC, when the focus of the system is to replace human decision making or improve processes
• The intersection of information technology and IPC: lessons learnt, pitfalls and future goals
Not in scope are manuscripts that present automated solutions (e.g. wearable devices) to monitor process measures (e.g. patient movement, hand hygiene).
Before submitting your manuscript, please ensure you have read the submission guidelines of Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control. Articles can be submitted via the online submission system.