CHICAGO – The American Medical Association (AMA), in collaboration with the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), today announced the availability of new continuing medical education (CME) modules for health care professionals aimed at improving infection control in outpatient dialysis settings.

As highlighted in the February CDC Vital Signs report, patients on dialysis are at high risk for bloodstream infections. “Dialysis-associated bloodstream infections are preventable—not inevitable,” said Shannon Novosad, MD, MPH, Dialysis Safety Team Lead in CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. "Prevention efforts that equitably promote lower-risk vascular access types and continued use of infection prevention and control best practices can save lives.”

The new modules highlight the importance of infection control and outline steps front line health care professionals should take to help protect their patients, themselves, and their colleagues from preventable infections. The new 4-part video education series is part of the AMA and ASN’s work with CDC’s national infection control training collaborative, Project Firstline.

“The AMA recognizes that everyone, especially those on the front lines of health care, has a role in preventing infections and keeping patients safe. We are pleased to collaborate with CDC’s Project Firstline and ASN to help ensure all members of the health care team have the resources they need to practice effective infection control and understand why moments matter in infection prevention and control. We believe these modules and ongoing work with the national training collaborative will help prevent the spread of avoidable infections and improve health outcomes for our patients,” said AMA President Jack Resneck, MD.

The interactive video modules outline 4 key infection control measures needed in a dialysis setting, including proper hand hygiene, injection safety, personal protective equipment, and environmental cleaning and disinfection. The modules aim to help health care professionals understand the importance of each infection control measure, recognize common mistakes to avoid, and identify the actions they should take to practice effective infection control.

“Every individual in the dialysis facility plays a critical role in infection prevention. Infection remains among the top two leading causes of hospitalization and death in people on dialysis. The dialysis facility design is unique, demands on staff are complex, and there are risks of infection transmission with each life-sustaining treatment. ASN is proud to partner with the AMA and CDC’s Project Firstline to share infection prevention educational materials specifically designed with dialysis facility staff in mind. When it comes to preventing infection in people on dialysis, moments matter,” said ASN President Michelle Josephson, MD, FASN.

To view the new infection control modules, visit the AMA Ed Hub^TM or ASN’s website at the following link. The modules are free, and each qualifies for 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 credit(s)^TM. Physicians can earn CME and other health professionals will be able to obtain a certificate of participation upon completion of each activity quiz.

This effort is supported by the CDC of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of CDC-RFA-OT18-1802: Strengthening Public Health Systems and Services through National Partnerships to Improve and Protect the Nation’s Health with award totaling $2,000,000 with 100% funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.