CDC Issues Guidelines for Infection Prevention in Outpatient Settings - July 19, 2011

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on July 13 released a new Guide to Infection Prevention and Infection Prevention Checklist for Outpatient Settings. The documents are based on existing evidence-based guidelines developed by the CDC and are intended to establish minimum standards for safe care in ambulatory settings, including:

• non-hospital based clinics
• physician offices
• urgent care centers
• outpatient surgical centers
• public health clinics
• imaging centers
• oncology clinics
• hospital-based outpatient departments

The CDC produced the guidelines in response to the expansion of care in outpatient settings and relative lack of guidance to ensure minimum standards of care.