Fixing PIVC Care in Australia: What Infection Prevention Teams Say Must Change Next

Study Overview

Peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) are used every day—but PIVC care in Australia is still often inconsistent and can cause avoidable harm. This priority-setting study brought together clinicians with infection prevention and control (IPC) expertise to identify the most important national priorities for improving PIVC care, plus practical actions that could actually move the needle.

A total of 65 multidisciplinary clinicians participated, and the study distilled their input into nine priority themes and a set of “doable” strategies to support real-world change.

Key Findings

- PIVC care is still hard to improve at scale
Participants pointed to persistent barriers like gaps in local policy, variation in clinician training, and competing clinical priorities.

- Consumer involvement was a clear priority
Clinicians emphasised that improvement needs stronger patient/consumer input—not as an add-on, but as part of the design of resources, messaging, and expectations for PIVC care.

- Low-value practices need to be reduced
A major theme was cutting down on “because we always do it” actions that add workload without clear benefit—and refocusing effort on what prevents harm.

- Multidisciplinary collaboration is essential
Improving PIVC care isn’t just a nursing or IPC issue. Participants highlighted the need for shared ownership across teams and disciplines.

- Consistency requires standardised, evidence-informed resources
The study highlighted the need for clearer, aligned tools (guidance, education resources, prompts/checklists) that are practical and nationally consistent.

- National leadership is needed
Clinicians called for stronger, coordinated leadership to align priorities, build momentum, and support implementation across settings.

Implications

This study sets out a practical national agenda for improving PIVC care—one that goes beyond “education” and focuses on system-level enablers. The message is: better PIVC care will require coordinated leadership, consistent resources, reduced low-value work, and active consumer partnership, backed by multidisciplinary collaboration.

In plain terms: if we want safer PIVCs, we need a national approach that standardises the basics, supports frontline teams with usable tools, and keeps patients at the centre of decisions.

Read More:https://www.idhjournal.com.au/article/S2468-0451(25)00046-X/abstract 

Authors: Sally M. Havers; Claire M. Rickard; Josephine Lovegrove; Andrew J. Stewardson; Diana Egerton-Warburton; Rebecca L. McCann; Gillian Ray-Barruel; Karen M. Davies; Christine Brown; Samuel M. Mathias; Jessica A. Schults