Development of criteria for limiting nosocomial infections and optimization of healthcare resources with application algorithms and roadmaps

Project tasks

• Conduct an expanded verification of NCIs and analyze the impact of human factors on their spread in Latvia’s largest hospital (East Hospital), utilizing microbiological, clinical, and other identification tools, including machine learning (ML)
• Define criteria for monitoring NCIs and staff behavioral patterns, developing implementation algorithms and roadmaps
• Develop and pilot a training program for healthcare staff to reduce NCI risks

Planned results

• Manual prepared for submission to the Centre for Disease Prevention and  Control (Latvia), which will include:
  • Mathematical tool for predicting NCI:
  • Checklist for predicting and detecting NCI in hospitalized patients
  • Evaluation of new microbiological tests applied within project
• Clinical recommendations and instructions for using the NCI tool in the form of algorithms and roadmaps
• Developed training program on reducing the risk of NCI for HCW
• Training on reducing the risk of NCI conducted for ~500 HCW

Project team

Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) is the leading partner in the project, with an expert team from medicine and science fields.

Ludmila Vīksna – Prof., Dr. habil. med., Head of the RSU Infectology Department, adviser to the East Hospital board in strategic infectious diseases, with experience leading 7 projects over the past decade, she will lead the project, engage with public and medical professionals, and develop clinical algorithms and roadmaps.

Oksana Koļesova – Dr. med., RSU Associate Professor, Principal Researcher. Experienced in project implementation, responsible for ethics approval, result interpretation, and preparing algorithms and roadmaps

Andrejs Ivanovs – Dr. soc., RSU Associate Professor, Head of the Statistics Teaching Lab. Participant in over 10 international projects, leader of 2, and experienced in statistical data processing for pharmaceutical companies in Latvia and Europe

Jevgenijs Proskurins – Dr. phys., RSU Assistant Professor, Head of the Physics Department, specializing in data collection and processing

Aleksandrs Koļesovs – Dr. psych., LU Professor with experience in three RSU projects over the past five years, he will be analyzing data and interpret results

Maija Eglīte – RSU Professor, Occupational Safety and Environmental Health Specialist. She will be overseeing healthcare staff training in NI risk reduction

Dace Bantauska – Mg. sc. admin. educ., Mg. paed. Experienced as a coordinator/administrator in five projects, she will be managing risks and overseeing workgroup activities and coordination

Haralds Plaudis – Dr. med., RSU Professor, principal executor, and leading researcher in various national research programs (VPP) and fundamental and applied research projects (FLPP)

Māris Liepiņš – Dr. med., Head of the Infection Control Department at East Hospital

Baiba Niedre-Otomere – Dr. biol., Specialist in Epidemiological Research at East Hospital and participant in several international projects

The National Health Service's pilot project "Development of criteria for limiting nosocomial infections and optimization of healthcare resources with application algorithms and roadmaps" Nr. NVD-9/103-2024 (NVD pilot project Nr. 12) is part of the project "Healthcare service delivery models laboratory" and is financed by European Union's The Recovery and Resilience Facility "4. Component Health 4.3.1.r. Sustainability of health care, strengthening governance, efficient use of health resources, increase of total public budget in the health sector" and Latvia's state budget.