The PRINCIPAL Network: A Model to Optimize Infection Care and Prevention in Pediatric Oncology in the Latin American Region. JCO Global Oncology Vol 8.
Abstract Children with cancer are at high risk for poor outcomes, and health care providers are often unfamiliar with best practices in infection care and prevention (IC&P) in this small and fragile population. Graduates of training courses in IC&P in immunocompromised hosts identified a need for a community that would enable members to share health care experiences, provide resources for continuing medical education, and foster collaborative research and quality improvement opportunities. We developed a Latin American network, Prevencionistas e Infectólogos para Cáncer Pediátrico en América Latina, to grow and sustain the expertise of the clinical workforce in IC&P. Here, we describe the network, how we built it, and its early outcomes.
Conclusion We have demonstrated the power of a discipline-specific network structure to facilitate sharing of evidence-based information that enhances the quality-of-care delivery in pediatric oncology.