Paper Review Report Sample

Introduction

Disease prevention is critical for individuals to have a quality life. Even though healthcare institutions are mandated to provide treatment after disease exposure, much of this responsibility rests with individuals. People have a duty to reduce their risk of infection by embracing easy, low-cost methods such as cleaning the hands and vaccinations.

Summary of Brochure

In the brochure “Five Things You Can Do to Prevent Infection,” The Joint Commission prescribes five approaches that individuals can adopt to prevent the spread of communicable illnesses. The first method is cleaning the hands thoroughly after handling any form of unclean substance likely to breed infection. The brochure recommends the use of soap and warm water or alcohol-based sanitizers. The second method is ensuring health care providers wash their hands or wear protective gear before handling patients to prevent them from contracting bacteria and viruses through physical contact with patients. The third step urges individuals to cover their mouths and noses using when coughing or sneezing to avoid infecting others. The fourth step advises sick individuals to refrain from close physical contact with others by staying at home or taking measures to avoid contaminating others in the waiting rooms of health care institutions. Lastly, the brochure endorses immunization as a way of preventing prevalent diseases such as measles and polio.

Evaluation of Brochure

The brochure is spot on about the simple preventive measures that people can adopt to stem the spread of communicable diseases. Modern society has become highly dependent on medication and treatment that they have, to an extent, overlooked their responsibility in safeguarding their health. The approaches indicated in the brochure are simple and timeless, with negligent financial costs involved. Previous research conducted by WHO and independent researchers show a positive correlation between strict hand hygiene and reduction of cross-transmission risk (Mathur, 2011). Scientific evidence reveals the existence of “transient microorganisms” that are typically acquired by individuals and healthcare providers when they come in contact with contaminated surfaces, equipment, and patients. Latest data released by the CDC indicate that one in every 25 patients gets a healthcare-associated infection when undergoing care, totaling to 722, 000 infections annually (Edmond, Landon & Larson, 2014). These high statistics highlight the necessity of cleaning the hands thoroughly and frequently to lower disease exposure rate. Moreover, studies done by the World Health Organization (WHO) disclose that vaccinations are much safer than curative medicine and prevent close to “6 million deaths annually” (Andre et al., 2008). The benefits of vaccinations include disease eradication and elimination (e.g. smallpox) and mitigation of morbidity, mortality and complications such as allergic reactions to conventional medications. The brochure was well written, and it achieved the goal of informing people about their role in disease prevention. It also provided several practical steps and instructions that individuals can implement without incurring any financial burden. Moreover, the brochure contains pictures that can assist people interpret the messages better, including children, the uneducated or those with limited literacy capabilities.

Conclusion

In conclusion, people should put more effort in safeguarding their health to avoid getting exposed or otherwise transmit infectious diseases. This vigilance also extends to health care providers since they face a higher risk of contracting communicable illnesses in their line of work. Therefore, the brochure is a timely prevention strategy and is an effective way of reaching people without sounding repetitive and dull like other conventional forms of communication.

References

Andre, F. E., Booy, R., Bock, H. L., Clemens, J., Datta, S. K., John, T. J., . . . Schmitt, H. J. (2008). Vaccination greatly reduces disease, disability, death and inequity worldwide. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 86(2), 81-160. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/86/2/07-040089/en/
Edmond, M., Landon, E., & Larson, E. (2014, April). Infection prevention in hospitals: The importance of hand hygiene. Retrieved March 26, 2015, from http://www.healio.com/infectious-disease/nosocomial-infections/news/print/infectious-disease-news/%7Bdd1e115b-8a00-4889-9e85-8566391f2541%7D/infection-prevention-in-hospitals-the-importance-of-hand-hygiene
Mathur, P. (2011). Hand hygiene: Back to the basics of infection control. Indian Journal of Medical Research, 134(2), 611-620. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3249958/
The Joint Commission. (n.d.). Five things you can do prevent infection. Retrieved March 26, 2015, from http://www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/6/Infection_Control_brochure.pdf