Infection Prevention and Control in Residential Aged Care Facilities In and Out of Recent Pandemics: A Scoping Review Protocol

AbstractBackgroundThe longstanding problem of infection prevention and control (IPC) in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) has been highlighted and seriously exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 among aged care residents is increased by age, comorbidities and the congregate living arrangements, which often also function as healthcare settings. Implementation of IPC practices are intended to protect residents and staff from infectious disease risks, but can also impact on other dimensions of wellbeing and safety. ObjectivesTo identify evidence of effective IPC strategies in RACFs and their impacts on resident or staff safety or wellbeing, during both ‘business as usual’ and infectious disease outbreaks. Methods We will search relevant databases for original research articles, published in 2000 or later, that examine (1) IPC measures and/or (2) infectious disease outbreaks in (3) in residential aged care settings, whilst (4) considering resident and/or staff wellbeing and/or safety. Following Preferred Reporting of Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-SCR) and consultation with a university librarian, we have devised a search strategy for review of relevant key articles. One author customised the search strategy for each database (CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane, MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science) and reviewed each term before inclusion. After deletion of duplicates, 2-4 reviewers will screen references by title and abstract, then review full texts of selected articles. Items included will be charted with respect to publication details and quality assessment performed. Results will be grouped according to thematic contributions.ResultsSystematic searches began at the end of 2021 and data extraction will progress in early 2022, followed by data analyses and writing. Anticipated conclusions Implementation of IPC practices in RACFs must balance effectiveness, feasibility, and wellbeing and safety of residents and staff. This review will summarise, and identify gaps in, evidence for how best to protect residents and staff from infection in long term aged care settings. SupportPartial financial support for this project has been provided by the Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Sydney.