The development and successful implementation of the VINCat Program

In 2006 the VINCat Program was established in order to develop and support a standardized surveillance system of hospital-acquired infections (HAI). All acute care hospitals included in the public health system network of Catalonia (Spain) were invited to participate. The aim was to provide risk-adjusted, procedures pecificrates for most relevant infections. Data are collected by the local multidisciplinary infection control teams and transmitted electronically to the Coordinating Centre, which acts as the core of a network of infection control committees and has the support of a Technical Advisory Committee. The program website provides updated information on program activities, training workshops, aggregated data on past infection rates and access to databases, manuals and protocols. During the period 2007-2011, 64 hospitals have joined the program 9 tertiary, 16 district and 39 small hospitals, providing records on 4.044 episodes of catheter-related blood stream infections, 14.389 elective colorectal surgical interventions, 14.214 hip and 29.599 knee arthroplasties, among the most significant indicators. Nowadays, it appears that VINCat has been successfully implemented and is well established as the official HAI surveillance program in Catalonia. Determinants for success have been the maintenance of a close contact between the hospitals and the coordinating center, the timely and regular data feedback to institutions ,the program’s contribution towards reducing HAIs, the ongoing efforts to improve performance and, a key factor, the perception among the infection control professionals of the value added by the program to their daily work in different ways. Adequate funding, commitment of infection control teams and the generous collaboration of experts from different specialties are essential for maintaining the success of the VINCat Program (AU)

En el año 2006 se estableció el Programa VINCat con el fin de desarrollar y mantener un sistema normalizado de vigilancia de las infecciones nosocomiales (HAI). Se invitó a participar a todos los hospitales de agudos incluidos en la red del sistema de salud pública de Cataluña (España). El objetivo era proporcionarlas tasas específicas, ajustadas al riesgo, de las infecciones más relevantes asociadas a procedimientos. Los datos son recogidos por los equipos locales multidisciplinarios de control de la infección y transmitidos electrónicamente al Centro Coordinador, que actúa como el núcleo de una red de comisiones de infecciones y cuenta con el apoyo de un Comité Técnico Asesor. El sitio web del programa ofrece información actualizada sobre las actividades del programa, las reuniones técnicas de formación, los datos agregados sobre las tasas de infección y el acceso a bases de datos, manuales y protocolos. Durante el período 2007-2011, 64 hospitales se han incorporado al programa 9 hospitales de tercer nivel,16 medios y 39 centros de pequeño tamaño, proporcionando los registros de 4.044 episodios de infecciones de bacteriemia de catéter, 14.389 intervenciones quirúrgicas electivas colorrectales, 14.214 de cadera y29.599 artroplastias de rodilla, entre los indicadores más significativos. Hoy día parece que el Programa VINCat se ha aplicado con éxito y se ha consolidado como el programa(..) (AU)