Outbreak Investigation & Infection Control

Evaluate outbreak investigation and infection control readiness covering contact tracing, infection prevention, public health coordination, and outbreak management

HealthcareResearchBiotech20 minutes18 questions

1. Outbreak Detection & Reporting

Is syndromic surveillance in place to detect potential outbreaks?*

Monitor illness patterns, absenteeism, cluster alerts for early outbreak detection

Are suspected outbreaks reported to local/state health department immediately?*

Report clusters of illness (2+ related cases) to public health authority within 24 hours

Is an outbreak response team designated with defined roles?*

Team includes infection preventionist, clinical leader, lab, PH liaison, communications

2. Contact Tracing & Case Investigation

Are case interviews conducted using standardized questionnaires?*

Collect demographics, symptom onset, exposures, contacts using CDC/state forms

Is contact tracing performed within 24-48 hours of case identification?*

Identify, notify, monitor close contacts; provide quarantine/isolation guidance

Are line lists and epidemic curves maintained and shared with public health?*

Track cases by date of onset, demographics, exposures; create epi curve for pattern analysis

3. Infection Prevention & Control

Are transmission-based precautions implemented per CDC guidelines?*

Contact, droplet, airborne precautions based on pathogen; PPE availability and training

Is environmental cleaning and disinfection enhanced during outbreaks?*

Increased cleaning frequency, appropriate disinfectants for pathogen, terminal cleaning

Are isolation and quarantine protocols enforced?*

Separate infectious patients, restrict symptomatic staff from work, monitor quarantined contacts

4. Public Health Coordination

Is a public health liaison designated for outbreak coordination?*

Single point of contact with health department, participates in unified command

Are laboratory specimens shared with public health lab for testing?*

Submit isolates for genotyping, antimicrobial susceptibility, advanced diagnostics

Is compliance with public health control measures documented?*

Document response to health department orders (e.g., facility closure, vaccination campaigns)

5. Communication & Notification

Are patients/families notified of potential exposure per HIPAA rules?*

HIPAA permits disclosure for public health without authorization; inform exposed individuals

Is internal communication maintained (staff, leadership, medical staff)?*

Regular updates on outbreak status, control measures, policy changes

Is media/public communication coordinated with public health?*

Joint messaging strategy, designated spokesperson, avoid HIPAA violations in press releases

6. Post-Outbreak Review

Is an after-action review conducted within 30 days of outbreak end?*

Debrief with team, identify what worked/didn't, lessons learned, improvement opportunities

Are outbreak investigation findings documented in final report?*

Case definition, attack rates, source investigation, control measures, outcomes

Are infection control policies updated based on outbreak lessons learned?*

Policy revisions, training updates, equipment procurement to prevent recurrence

Please answer all required questions to see your results