Updated: Infection Control Assessment and Response (ICAR) Tool for General Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Across Settings

Posted in RESOURCES

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP
Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare

CDC has updated the Infection Control Assessment and Response (ICAR) Tool for General Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Across Settings to include Module 11 – Water Exposure.  It appears that this Module was added June 27, 2023.

ICAR tools are used to systematically assess a healthcare facility’s IPC practices and guide quality improvement activities (e.g., by addressing identified gaps).

This comprehensive tool is intended to help assess IPC practices in acute care, long-term care, and outpatient settings. It is not currently intended for use in outpatient hemodialysis facilities; resources for outpatient hemodialysis facilities are available at: https://www.cdc.gov/dialysis/prevention-tools/audit-tools.html. The tool includes a series of modules that individuals performing the assessment may use depending on the focus of the assessment. Modules can be selected based on allotted time, facility-specific concerns, or applicability to an organism of concern. Overview of the ICAR tool and helpful tips [PDF – 2 pages] is a good way to get started with this tool if you’re not familiar with it or need a refresher.

Demographics forms for individual healthcare settings available for download to send to facility prior to ICAR assessment:

Demographics – Acute Care [PDF – 6 pages]Demographics – Long-Term Care [PDF – 6 pages]Demographics – Outpatient/Ambulatory Care [PDF – 5 pages]

Click on each Module below to open the tool in a fillable PDF document.

Module 1 – Training, Audits, Feedback [PDF – 5 pages]Module 2 – Hand Hygiene [PDF – 7 pages]Module 3 – Transmission-Based Precautions (TBP) [PDF – 30 pages]Module 4 – Environmental Services (EVS) [PDF – 18 pages]Module 5 – High-level Disinfection and Sterilization [PDF – 13 pages]Module 6 – Injection Safety [PDF – 11 pages]Module 7 – Point of Care (POC) Blood Testing [PDF – 8 pages]Module 8 – Wound Care [PDF – 9 pages]Module 9 – Healthcare Laundry [PDF – 9 pages]Module 10 – Antibiotic Stewardship [PDF – 5 pages]Module 11 – Water Exposure [PDF – 18 pages]

Overview of the ICAR tool and helpful tips [PDF – 2 pages]

Section 3 is intended for use during observations of infection prevention practices. These sections are meant to assess how some of the discussed policies and practices are being implemented. If this tool is being used as part of an in-person assessment, facilitators might consider expanding observations beyond what is listed in this tool.

  • Observation sections are also included within the corresponding modules in Section 2

Click on each link below to open the form in a fillable PDF document.

Observation Form –  Hand Hygiene [PDF – 3 pages]Observation Form – Transmission-Based Precautions (TBP) [PDF – 16 pages]Observation Form –  Environmental Services (EVS) [PDF – 15 pages]Observation Form – High-level Disinfection and Sterilization [PDF – 10 pages]Observation Form – Injection Safety [PDF – 10 pages]Observation Form – Point of Care (POC) Blood Testing [PDF – 7 pages]Observation Form – Wound Care [PDF – 7 pages]Observation Form – Healthcare Laundry [PDF – 3 pages]Observation Form – Water Exposure [PDF – 7 pages]