Patients play an important role in receiving safer, infection-free care. Be an informed patient and an advocate for healthcare safety using APIC’s patient safety resources:

Monthly infection prevention alerts 

Access Infection info for consumers bulletins that provide helpful tips on staying infection free, in and out of heathcare settings.

"Infection Prevention and You" brochures, flyers, and posters

“Infection Prevention and You” consumer campaign materials explain the role infection preventionists play in patient safety and educate the consumer about how to stay infection free while receiving care.

International Infection Prevention Week

International Infection Prevention Week, occurring annually the third week in October, highlights the importance of infection prevention in improving patient safety.

Protect our Patients campaign

This visitor education toolkit explains the role visitors play in the prevention of infection – not only in the hospital but also upon the patient's return home. This campaign was supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Clorox. Learn more.

Additional patient safety resources

• ACE Clean Online – Alliance for Consumer Education
• American Healthcare Association’s Patient Care Partnership Consumer’s Union: Safe Patient Project
• Be a good visitor – APIC
• Cover your cough – U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Get Smart: Know when antibiotics work – U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Getting safer care– Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Hand washing: Clean hands save lives– U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Hand hygiene saves lives: Patient admission video – U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Healthcare Organization Quality Check – The Joint Commission
• Henry the Hand program materials – Henry the Hand Foundation
• Hospital Compare – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Making care safer – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• One and Only Campaign: Safe Injection Practices Coalition
• Patient guides on healthcare-associated infections -- The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)
• Patient Safety Awareness Week 
• Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority
• Preventing healthcare-associated infections – U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Safe Care Campaign
• SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands – World Health Organization
• Speak Up: Prevent errors in your care –The Joint Commission 
• The Innovation Center – Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• The Leapfrog Group – Compare hospitals
• Vital Signs – U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• WebMD Answers – U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention experts