Practice guidelines are proliferating in the era of managed care. Hospital epidemiologists frequently are asked to author guidelines for infection control. The greatest challenge in the process is not writing the guidelines but implementing them. This article offers practical advice on which topic to select and on how to develop and implement guidelines.

The Certification Board of Infection Control, Inc (CBIC), was created in 1981 by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc, for the sole purpose of developing and administering an examination by which competent infection control professionals could become certified. This independent, voluntary board is multidisciplinary, representing all levels of professionals in the field of infection control, as well as a consumer member. CBIC certification is the only recognized certification for infection control professionals. Since the first examination was administered in 1983, over 3,000 persons have attained infection control certification (CIC) status and are permitted to use the CIC credential.

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc (APIC) is a multidisciplinary voluntary international organization with over 10,000 members. Its purpose is to influence, support, and improve the quality of healthcare through the practice and management of infection control and the application of epidemiology in all health settings. The organization, which is based in Washington, DC, is led by an elected board of members who volunteer their time and expertise.

Today, I want to touch on four different areas that I think will be of interest to you. I am going to talk about healthcare reform, quality management research within the Clinton Administration, efforts to fight on-the-job infection of healthcare workers, and the President's Childhood Immunization Initiative.

This final rule was made available to the public at the Government Printing Office in Washington, DC, on June 2, 1995. It was published in the Federal Register on June 8, 1995, in Part II of that issue (60 FR 110:30336). This rule addresses the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and Department of Labor/Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) certification requirements for respiratory protective devices. Specifically, the rule replaces MSHA regulations at 30 CFR Part 11 with new public health regulations at 42 CFR Part 84, while also upgrading testing requirements for particulate filters. Concurrent with NIOSH publication of this new rule, MSHA published a final rule to remove existing regulations at 30 CFR Part 11, which are made obsolete by this final rule. NIOSH now will have exclusive authority for testing and certification of respirators with the exception of certain mine emergency devices, which will continue to be jointly certified by NIOSH and MSHA.