Development and validation of a competency evaluation model for hospital infection prevention and control practitioners in the post-pandemic era: a mixed methods study

BACKGROUND: During the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the management of nosocomial infections became even more crucial. There is an urgent need to develop a competency model for healthcare practitioners to combat public health emergencies. AIM: To determine practitioners' competency in hospital infection prevention and control measures. METHODS: A theoretical framework was developed based on a literature review, key informant interviews, the Delphi method and a questionnaire survey. These items were evaluated based on response rate, maximum score, minimum score and mean score. Factor analyses, both exploratory and confirmatory, were used to determine the structure of the competency model. RESULTS: The effective response rate for the questionnaire was 88.29%, and Cronbach's α-coefficient was 0.964. Factor analysis revealed a Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin score of 0.945. Bartlett's test gave a χ(2)-value of 10523.439 (df=435; P<0.001). After exploratory factor analysis, the five-factor model was retained, four items were deleted and a five-dimensional, 26-item scale was obtained. The new structure's confirmatory factor analysis revealed high goodness of fit (comparative fit index=0.921; Tucker–Lewis index=0.911; standardized root mean square residual=0.053; root mean square error of approximation=0.044). CONCLUSION: The proposed scale is a useful tool to assess the competency of hospital infection prevention and control practitioners, which can help hospitals to improve infection prevention and control.