Science AI Journal
Medicine · Research topic

Open research questions in Infection Control in Healthcare

112 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 703 Infection Control in Healthcare papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • The study identifies inconsistent preventive practices among operating room nurses, with awareness gaps in areas such as the limitations of surgical masks and the non-universal protection offered by latex gloves. The study notes that the availability and functioning of ventilation or local exhaust controls in areas where disinfectants and sterilant are used can be inconsistent. The study identifies the need for improved training and education on preventive practices among operating room nurses.

    When behavior outweighs infrastructure: disinfectant and latex exposure and preventive practice among operating room nurses in China · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies are needed to investigate the long-term effects of disinfectant exposure on OR nurses, - Research is needed to develop effective interventions to improve safety awareness and preventive practices among OR nurses

    When behavior outweighs infrastructure: disinfectant and latex exposure and preventive practice among operating room nurses in China · 2026 · DOI

  • Background: Nosocomial infections constitute a major threat to patients’ safety in low-resource contexts, where healthcare workers’ (HCWs’) limited knowledge of infection prevention and control (IPC) combined with poor working conditions and workload can exacerbate the risk of healthcare-associated infections.

    Effectiveness of a Co-Created Multimodal Behavioural Change Model for Improving Infection Prevention and Control Practices Among Healthcare Workers in Conflict-Affected Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Quasi-Experimental Study · 2026 · DOI

  • Few studies have investigated the effectiveness of co-created, context-specific, multimodal interventions to improve knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to IPC in such settings.

    Effectiveness of a Co-Created Multimodal Behavioural Change Model for Improving Infection Prevention and Control Practices Among Healthcare Workers in Conflict-Affected Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Quasi-Experimental Study · 2026 · DOI

  • RESULTS: 1,772 injury reports were recorded, of which 790 were included for analysis since the sample was limited to the outpatient clinic opening hours to ensure a more accurate assessment of injury severity.

    Occupational injury severity among healthcare workers: a retrospective study · 2025 · DOI

  • CONCLUSION: The configuration of full-time Infection Preventionists (IPs) in both tertiary and secondary hospitals in Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, is insufficient, with the situation being particularly severe in secondary hospitals.

    Assessment of infection prevention and control management in obstetrics departments in secondary and tertiary hospitals · 2025 · DOI

  • BACKGROUND: The use of immersive technology in healthcare education is on the rise, yet its impact on learner engagement, knowledge retention, and specifically in areas like hand hygiene training, remains underexplored.

    Immersive technology and hand hygiene: scoping review · 2024 · DOI

  • While the unique characteristics of psychiatric patients and clinical settings may make the implementation of ICPs difficult, evidence is lacking for compliance with ICPs among healthcare workers (HCWs) in a psychiatric setting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Compliance of healthcare workers in a psychiatric inpatient ward to infection control practices during the COVID-19 pandemic: a participant observation study supplemented with a self-reported survey · 2024 · DOI

  • Limited studies have explored compliance with infection prevention and control (IPC) practices among Somali healthcare workers.

    Healthcare workers’ compliance with COVID-19 prevention and control measures at De Martino Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia: a cross-sectional study · 2024 · DOI

  • Importance: Few studies have directly and objectively measured the individual and combined effects of multifaceted hand hygiene education programs.

    Hand Hygiene Education Components Among First-Year Nursing Students · 2024 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in the understanding of dermal ethanol absorption. The study highlights the need for further research on the safety of using ethanol-based products.

    Contribution of dermal ethanol absorption during laboratory-controlled high-frequency use of alcohol-based hand rubs followed by glove use · 2026 · DOI

  • The design of a laboratory study was chosen because of the need to control for inhalation exposure. To reduce the contribution of endogenous ethanol formation the study par- ticipants were asked to restrict their carbohydrate intake to define a standardized low baseline of blood ethanol at the start, during the exposure and wash out period. To enhance the real-world relevance, healthcare workers were enrolled as study participants. They introduced their routine to apply ABHRs as experienced users, resulting in a realistic assess- ment of the procedure and presumably greater reproducibil- ity than would be expected with less experienced users. We invited healthcare workers who also routinely use hygienic disinfection products combined with wet-work tasks, includ- ing the use of detergent/soap and are familiar glove users. This was supported by a medical exam of the skin during the intake interview. The ABHRs were studied in a series with intermittent glove use, creating periods of skin occlusion that may have contributed to effects on skin barrier func- tion particularly for a polar chemical such as ethanol, which has not been studied under these conditions before (Arndt et al., 2024). Such exposure conditions may influence hydra- tion of the skin and specifically the skin barrier function in both the short and long term which is considered relevant to assess a real-world exposure (Tiedeman et al. 2016; Plum et al. 2020). The interpretation of the results was supported by measurement of TEWL before, during and after the use of the disinfection product. Additionally, ambient temperature, relative humidity and ventilation were recorded in all expo- sure settings to secure comparability of the two conditions tested. Repeated blood sampling ethanol analysis was used as primary outcome measure which offers both sensitivity and specificity to generate a concentration-time pattern that could be used to calculate an AUC as the main study find- ing. This is an improvement relative to earlier attempts to study inhalation and dermal absorption by end-exhaled air analysis (Hautemanière et al., 2013) and urinary EtG excre- tion (Arndt et al., 2014). To verify that blood ethanol levels could be related to the disinfection product as exogenous exposure, a small amount of deuterated isotope was added. This substance was analysed in blood to be able to confirm its origin from the hand disinfection product and the ABHR procedure as the source. A limitation is the small sample size and the under-repre- sentation of male healthcare workers in the study group. In a way, this reflects the current gender distribution in the target populationof healthcare workers in hospitals in The Neth- erlands. In follow-up studies with controlled exposures, a larger study sample may allow investigation of host factors to explain interindividual differences in skin type and con- dition, including the filaggrin genotype as a potential con- tributor to skin barrier function (Liljedahl et al., 2024). The study design is relevant to regular ABHR users within the target population and accounts for the use of gloves during patient contact. This is an important con- sideration, because the resulting periods of occlusion may have a significant impact on dermal absorption of ethanol. Consequently, the study findings should be interpreted with caution, and care should be taken when extrapolating the results to other populations or conditions. The experimen- tal setting also has limitations related to standardising the study design for comparison of our findings with those of follow-up studies. We asked the study participants to follow the ABHR protocol, and their level of physical exercise was probably much lower than during a typical workday in a clinical setting. We did not assess ABHR use without inter- mittent wearing of gloves, which may be relevant in some healthcare settings. Real-world conditions would probably result in more variability in exposure, which could translate into even higher variability in blood ethanol concentrations both within a person and between individuals.

    Contribution of dermal ethanol absorption during laboratory-controlled high-frequency use of alcohol-based hand rubs followed by glove use · 2026 · DOI

  • The complexity of individual and behavioral factors contributing to needle stick injury. The need for a comprehensive approach to understand these determinants. The challenge of promoting safe behavior among nurses in a conducive work environment and safety system.

    The Integration of Individual and Behavioral Factors in Needle Stick Injuries Among Nurses in Hospitals: A Literature Review · 2026 · DOI

  • The occurrence of needle stick injury is influenced by multiple interacting factors, and there is a need for a comprehensive approach to understand these determinants. Prior studies have identified individual and behavioral factors as contributing to the occurrence of needle stick injury, but there is a need for a more integrated analysis.

    The Integration of Individual and Behavioral Factors in Needle Stick Injuries Among Nurses in Hospitals: A Literature Review · 2026 · DOI

  • Limited clinical experience among nursing students. Inadequate supervision during clinical practice. Significant gaps in students' knowledge of post-exposure protocols.

    Occupational Exposure Incidents Among Nursing Students: Knowledge, Experience, and Reporting Practices—A Cross-Sectional Study · 2026 · DOI

  • Low internal consistency of the knowledge scale (Cronbach's α = 0.49), - Study conducted at a single Croatian faculty, - Limited generalizability to other nursing programs

    Occupational Exposure Incidents Among Nursing Students: Knowledge, Experience, and Reporting Practices—A Cross-Sectional Study · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to develop effective strategies for infection management. The study identifies a gap in the literature regarding the use of the CIMAS and RAFSI methods for infection management.

    Infection Management in Hospitals Using a Two-Stage Fuzzy Decision-Making Approach · 2026 · DOI

  • Healthcare-associated infections represent a significant global public health problem. Hand hygiene adherence among healthcare workers remains suboptimal globally. The COM-B model has been underexplored in hand hygiene research.

    Capability, opportunity, and motivation: a structural equation model of hand hygiene behavior based on the COM-B framework in a Chinese hospital setting · 2026 · DOI

  • BackgroundThe choice of hand-drying method affects microbial contamination levels but its economic consequences have not been systematically quantified.

    The economic gains of tissue papers hygiene benefits · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to understand the occurrence of work-related accidents involving exposure to biological materials among nursing professionals. There is a need to identify associated factors and propose preventive measures.

    Acidentes de trabalho com exposição a materiais biológicos em profissionais de enfermagem · 2026 · DOI

  • As previously stated, some phases of the study were not under the control of the researchers. Specifically, health professionals responsible for operating the instrument did not close the venti- lation grilles. If left open, these grilles can cause ozone dispersion, making it difficult to achieve the concentration required for microbicidal effect. It was not possible to monitor the ozone concentration in the air, unlike other authors10,24 and this aspect represents a limitation. With regard to statistical power, the small sample size and the performed nonparametric tests may yield biased results and for this reason they must be considered as exploratory. Moreover, the unknown colonization status of the patients and possible other differences may also affect our results. Acknowledgments. None. Financial support. This research received no external funding. Competing interests. All authors report no conflicts of interest relevant to this article.

    Effectiveness of gaseous ozone in reducing microbial contamination: evaluation of environmental disinfection in healthcare settings · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in understanding the factors associated with MDRO contamination of staff hands and forearms. The study aims to evaluate the likelihood of staff harboring MDROs on their hands and forearms when entering the breakroom or going home.

    Multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) contamination of nursing home staff hands and forearms when entering the breakroom or going home · 2026 · DOI

  • Environmental constraints limit patients' ability to perform hand hygiene. Lack of social support hinders patients' ability to perform hand hygiene. Patients' physical limitations and impaired vision make it difficult to access hand hygiene supplies.

    Barriers to hand hygiene practices and improvement expectations among awake ICU patients: a qualitative study · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of understanding of the barriers to hand hygiene practices among awake ICU patients. The improvement expectations for hand hygiene practices among awake ICU patients are not well understood.

    Barriers to hand hygiene practices and improvement expectations among awake ICU patients: a qualitative study · 2026 · DOI

  • Operational barriers, such as workload and lack of supplies, can hinder IPC implementation. Limited resources and high workload can negatively affect infection control measures.

    Assessment of Nursing Interventions and Adherence to Infection Prevention and Control Practices among Paediatric Nurses in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano State, Nigeria · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Infection Control in Healthcare

Most recent work

Find a gap in your own Infection Control in Healthcare sub-topic

This page shows what the Infection Control in Healthcare literature already flags as unresolved. To narrow it to your specific question, run the guided finder — it searches the gap library on demand and checks candidates against 250M+ OpenAlex works.

Open the Research Gap Finder →

Related topics in Medicine

Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
2,044 open questions
Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
1,964 open questions
Smoking Behavior and Cessation
990 open questions
Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
974 open questions
Innovations in Medical Education
960 open questions
Physical Activity and Health
923 open questions
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
839 open questions
Schizophrenia research and treatment
709 open questions
112 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 703 Infection Control in Healthcare papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

Tools for your next paper

Gaps & Literature SearchFind open questions in any field — 120,000+ open gaps mined from our own library.Pre-CheckIs your paper ready? A Tier 1–5 acceptance probability in seconds.Journal FinderA ranked shortlist of target journals from a 17,500-venue index.Duplicate Publication CheckerCheck prior-publication & salami-slicing risk across 8 sources.Citation GeneratorFreeA DOI or title → APA, MLA, Vancouver, Chicago, BibTeX, RIS. No signup.Graphical Abstract MakerFreeTurn your findings into a colorblind-safe graphical abstract.

Compare the category — Honest roundups of the AI research tools, ours listed alongside the alternatives.

Command palette

Jump anywhere, run any action.