"Effective implementation of existing knowledge is what patients need and expect."

This impactful message, to be delivered by Professor Dr. Jan Kluytmans, a leading authority in infection prevention from the VU University Medical Center of Amsterdam, will form a key scientific theme of the 9th European Infection Prevention Expert Conference, organised by leading healthcare technology company, 3M. Speaking at the event taking place in Neuss, Germany, on the 21-22nd April 2010, Dr. Kluytmans will present recent successful strategies whereby 'bundling' a small selection of existing interventions that are easy to measure and relatively easy to adopt, combined with a zero tolerance approach to their implementation, can result in a strong reduction in the development of nosocomial infections.

The 3M European Infection Prevention Expert Conference, now in its ninth year, will be the largest ever, attended by over 350 by-invitation key opinion leaders and delegates from 35 countries. The 'care bundles' and 'strategies to increase compliance' themes will be developed by speakers over the two-day event, focusing on their application to the surgical site environment and in the reduction of catheter-related bloodstream infections. Professor Dr. Andreas Voss of the Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, will also outline how addressing health-care worker behaviour is critical to achieving compliance. Dr. Voss will illustrate how interventions based on marketing and behavioural science can be effective in changing practice in both the hospital and care home settings.

The Expert Conference will further address the criticality of monitoring cleanliness in the hospital environment, effective equipment decontamination strategies and the prevention of surgical site infections. Other high-level speakers include Dr. Bart Gordts of St Jan General Hospital, Brugge, Belgium; Professor Dr. Petra Gastmeier of the Institute for Hygiene Charité, Berlin, Germany; Professor Tom Elliott of University Hospitals Birmingham, United Kingdom; and Professor Dr. Jean-François Timsit of Albert Bonniot Institute, France.

"3M views this Expert Conference as a fundamental part of its commitment to partnering with hospitals to reduce the global incidence of healthcare associated infections", commented Mark Whitworth, Business Manager, Infection Prevention Division, Europe, Middle East & Africa. "It provides the ideal platform to present new science and advances in technology across the infection prevention spectrum and to share in the knowledge and expertise of our distinguished audience. This commitment to education, coupled with an unrivalled history of innovation, broad portfolio of infection prevention products and technical expertise, ideally positions 3M as the infection prevention partner of choice."