Survey on the Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare

August to September 2026

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care is developing the third edition of the Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare (the Guidelines).

During our public consultation we are collecting feedback on the revised clinical practice recommendations and new good practice statements to inform the development of the next edition of the Guidelines.

This survey focuses on two key topics – transmission-based precautions and waterless models of care in health care.

Survey questions address recommendations on:

respiratory precautions
airborne precautions
contact precautions
droplet precautions
the appropriate use of alcohol-based hand scrub for pre-operative and pre-procedure hand hygiene
the appropriate placement of handwashing basins in clinical settings.

Your feedback will help us to finalise the wording of new and revised recommendations and good practice statements in the updated Guidelines, due for release in late 2027.

General feedback is also welcome to inform future revisions of the Guidelines.

Survey instructions

There are 9 sections in this survey – Sections A to I. Not all sections are mandatory.

You can opt-in below to complete all sections of the survey or select only the sections relevant to you. Each section takes between 5 to 10 minutes to complete.

As you complete the survey, refer to the relevant sections of the Recommendations Summary to review the new and revised recommendations and good practice statements before providing your feedback.

The survey closes at midnight on 29 September 2026.

Choose topics for feedback

Question Title

1. Select the sections relevant for you to complete: (Required.)

Section A – Conditional recommendation 21: Contact precautions (REVISED)

Section B – Good practice statement: Appropriate use of respiratory precautions (NEW)

Section C – Conditional recommendation 24: Droplet precautions (REVISED)

Section D − Good practice statement 26: Airborne precautions (NEW)

Section E – Conditional recommendation 27: Airborne precautions (use of P2 respirators) (REMOVE)

Section F − Conditional recommendation 32: Contact precautions for multi-resistant organisms (REMOVE)

Section G − Good practice statement: Appropriate use of alcohol-based hand scrub for pre-operative and pre-procedure hand hygiene (NEW)

Section H − Good practice statement: Appropriate handwashing basin placement (NEW)

Section I − General feedback on the Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare

Section 1 - Demographic questions

Your privacy is important to the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission). The Commission collects and uses your personal information, including your name, email address, state, city or locality, profession or organisation represented, and any conflict of interest, for the purpose of administering and analysing this survey.

Your information will be accessed by authorised Commission staff to review and manage feedback submitted during the public consultation period. If you consent to the publication of your submission, the Commission may publish your feedback. However, your identity will not be disclosed and your submission will be de-identified unless you separately consent to the publication of your name or organisational affiliation.

Questions marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory.

Question Title

2. Please enter valid email address (Required.)

Question Title

3. First name and surname

Question Title

4. Which state or territory are you from?

NSW

ACT

VIC

QLD

TAS

Other

Question Title

5. Where do you live?

Major city

Regional areas

Remote/very remote

Question Title

6. City / Locality

Question Title

7. Do you identify with any of these groups? Select all that apply. (optional)

Aboriginal person

Torres Strait Islander person

From a different culture or speak a different language

LGBTIQA+

A person with a disability

Other

I’d rather not say

None of the above

Question Title

8. Are you reviewing these guidelines as:

a patient or healthcare consumer, carer

a healthcare student

a healthcare worker

Other (please specify)

Question Title

9. Are you reviewing these guidelines as:

as an individual

a representative of a health service organisation

a representative of a professional association/college,

a representative of a university/other education provider

a representative of a government service

a non-health related service

Other (please specify)

Question Title

10. Do you have any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest? (Required.)

Yes

If yes, please specify

Question Title

11. Do you consent to your submission being published? (Required.)

Yes

Survey on the Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare

Question Title

* 1. Select the sections relevant for you to complete: (Required.)

Question Title

* 2. Please enter valid email address (Required.)

Question Title

* 3. First name and surname

Question Title

* 4. Which state or territory are you from?

Question Title

* 5. Where do you live?

Question Title

* 6. City / Locality

Question Title

* 7. Do you identify with any of these groups? Select all that apply. (optional)

Question Title

* 8. Are you reviewing these guidelines as:

Question Title

* 9. Are you reviewing these guidelines as:

Question Title

* 10. Do you have any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest? (Required.)

Question Title

* 11. Do you consent to your submission being published? (Required.)

1. Select the sections relevant for you to complete: (Required.)

2. Please enter valid email address (Required.)

3. First name and surname

4. Which state or territory are you from?

5. Where do you live?

6. City / Locality

7. Do you identify with any of these groups? Select all that apply. (optional)

8. Are you reviewing these guidelines as:

9. Are you reviewing these guidelines as:

10. Do you have any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest? (Required.)

11. Do you consent to your submission being published? (Required.)