Event Description
"Challenges in Exposure Characterization for Healthcare-Associated
Infections: Applications in the Clinical Epidemiology of Clostridioides
difficile Infection" by
Jessica Webster, MPH,
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Dissertation committee: Neal Goldstein (chair), Brisa Sánchez, Brian Lee,
Michele Kutzler, Stephen Eppes
Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) place a substantial burden on
hospitalized patients and healthcare systems due to the range of complications
associated with infection. We identified three challenges in characterizing
exposure to HAI, focusing on healthcare-associated Clostridioides difficile
infection: 1) in measuring and operationalizing antibiotic exposure and
identifying relevant aspects of exposure that may predict disease, 2) in
evaluating antibiotic use as a time-varying exposure within a causal model for
C. difficile infection, and 3) in teasing apart the impact of patient-specific
and environmental risk factors for C. difficile infection. We used data from
two hospital-based case-control studies to demonstrate epidemiologic methods
that can be used to answer these questions, or similar questions, in the
context of other HAI. Results from this dissertation will move the field
forward by providing methodological examples for investigators conducting
research in similar environments, as well as provide evidence for infection
prevention activities such as antibiotic stewardship and environmental
cleaning.
Jessica is a PhD candidate in Epidemiology working under the supervision of
Dr. Neal Goldstein. Her research is centered around epidemiologic methods, with
a particular focus on applications in infectious diseases and
healthcare-associated infections.
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