What were we trying to do?

‘Germ Defence’ is a digital intervention, or tool, which was originally designed to reduce flu infections in people’s own homes and was then adapted and used to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, both in the home and in schools.

 

‘Germ Defence’ helps manage infection prevention and control (IPC) by suggesting changes to behaviours that will limit the spread of viruses and germs. We wanted to modify the intervention, so that it applies specifically to the behaviours of care home staff and could be used to help manage IPC in care homes.

 

We adapted the intervention by doing the following things:

 

• Spoke to a range of care home staff and then made changes to the Germ Defence intervention so that it’s was better suited to improve the IPC practices of staff in care homes.
• Made changes over time, as new policies were released and improvements to the intervention were identified.
• Ensured the tool encouraged behaviours that reduced the transmission of viruses (either through the air or by person-to-person contact).  

 

 

Why was it important?

Infection prevention and control (IPC) in care homes can help to reduce resident infections and deaths by up to 30%, as well as reducing unplanned admissions to hospital and the overuse of antibiotics.

 

However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was shown that 30% of care homes did not achieve the Care Quality Commission (CQC) IPC standards.

 

Improving IPC in care homes will help to protect care home residents against infections, which should lead to fewer deaths. 

 

 

How did we do it?

A number of care homes in Greater Manchester were involved with this research study, with another 10 care homes making up a panel to advise on the research project and to suggest potential improvements to the intervention.

 

Care homes were chosen based on factors that we knew influenced IPC, such as:

 

• the size of the care home
• the age of the care home building
• whether it is a nursing or residential home
• the organisational structure of the care home.

 

We were looking to interview care home staff members, asking them to share their thoughts on infection control and to tell us things they already did to prevent infection. Then, we watched them as they used the website, asking them for their opinions. Next, we asked them what they thought could encourage other people to use the tool, and what might discourage them from using it.

 

Based on what care home staff tell us, we made changes to the website so that staff were more likely to use it, which would help to reduce infections in care homes.  

 

 

Who were we working with?

• NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR)
• Greater Manchester Care Home Research Network
• Greater Manchester Residential Care Research Collaboration
• Greater Manchester Older People's Network
• National Care Forum
• Greater Manchester Clinical Research Network (CRN) Ageing Network
• The University of Bristol
• The University of Southampton

 

 

Funding info

This study is funded via a £72,268 award from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) School for Primary Care Research (SPCR) funding round FR3, project number 582.

 

 

More information

 

 

Programme Manager
Alison Littlewood
alison.j.littlewood@manchester.ac.uk