Systematic risk assessment methods for the infection control professional.

Microbial and infectious disease risk models are used to assess infectious hazards in the environment and identify strategies to prevent or reduce these hazards. Although risk modeling represents a promising approach, there are inherent limitations because of the multifactorial nature of the transmission of infections, the dynamic environment in which transmission takes place, and a paucity of available data to more fully specify model parameters. The purpose of this paper is to introduce processes adapted from the food and consumer industries, which could be applied to assess the risk of microbial transmission and the potential impact of interventions to prevent or control transmission in health care settings. Am J Infect Control 2006; 34:323-6.