DOI: 10.11648/j.sr.20261404.11 ISSN: 2329-0927

A Practical Study on Risk Assessment for Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases in Comprehensive Hospitals

Shushan Fan, Yujie Yang, Min Wu, Yan Ding, Yanhui Li, Jing Ma, Chunyan Yang, Xiaona Gao
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Objective This study aimed to systematically evaluate and mitigate risks associated with infectious disease prevention and control in general hospitals, with the ultimate goal of strengthening institutional capacity for infection management. Methods A hybrid risk analysis approach combining the Delphi technique and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) was employed to identify, assess, and prioritize key vulnerabilities in hospital-based infectious disease control processes. Following risk prioritization, evidence-informed interventions were designed and implemented for the highest-ranking issues, and their impact was rigorously measured through pre- and post-intervention comparisons. Results Twenty-two distinct risk elements influencing infectious disease management efficacy were identified and stratified by severity and likelihood using FMEA scoring. The five most critical areas demanding urgent action were: (1) fragmented or under-resourced internal structures dedicated to infection control; (2) outdated or non-integrated health information systems lacking real-time surveillance capabilities; (3) inconsistent application of triage and initial screening protocols; (4) variable adherence to standard infection prevention practices across clinical units; and (5) inefficient interdepartmental coordination during the transfer of suspected or confirmed infectious cases. Post-intervention outcomes demonstrated marked improvements: the timeliness of mandatory infectious disease reporting rose from 84.66% to full compliance (100%); case report completeness reached 100%, up from 97.89%; and the median reporting time per case was halved—from 10 minutes to 5 minutes. Statistically significant enhancements were observed across all evaluated compliance indicators (p < 0.001). Conclusion The synergistic application of the Delphi method and FMEA facilitates proactive risk detection, dynamic monitoring, and responsive mitigation—transforming reactive practices into a robust, iterative, closed-loop governance framework that substantially elevates the quality and reliability of infectious disease prevention and control in general hospitals.

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