National vs local IPC Guidelines - Lost in Translation?

Infection Control Matters

In this episode, we explore the crucial disconnect between national infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines and the local policies implemented in residential aged care (RAC) facilities. Brett and Martin talk to Dr Sanne Peters and Dr Kirsty Buising about their recent paper that reports on their recent analysis using the AACTT (Action, Actor, Context, Target, Time) behavioural framework, which reveals a lack of alignment and specificity in many local IPC documents.

We discuss:

• Why well-intentioned policies often fail to drive behaviour

• The implications of vague IPC statements in high-risk environments

• How local RAC settings can better translate national guidelines into actionable, behaviourally specific practices

• The role of co-design, leadership, and implementation science in bridging the gap

The paper we discuss:

Peters S, Lim LL, Francis JJ, Bennett N, Fetherstonhaugh D, Buising K, et al. Analysis of infection prevention and control documentation in residential aged care based on a behaviour specification framework. Infect Dis Health 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idh.2025.03.002.