Recently,Central South University received a letter from the China Medical Board (CMB) informing us that our Open Competition (OC) project proposal titled "Effectiveness of a novel multidisciplinary endoscope reprocessing competency program (mERCP) in preventing gastrointestinal endoscopy-associated infections in county hospitals of Hunan Province" has been approved for funding. The CMB has granted $50,000 for this research project following two rounds of expert reviews and approval by the board.
The OC project is one of the most prestigious open competitions held by the CMB in China, known for its intense competition. This year, CMB invited 29 universities and related research institutions, including Central South University, Peking University, Fudan University, Zhejiang University, and Peking Union Medical College, to participate in the OC project competition on the theme of "prevention and control of healthcare-acquired infections." A total of 224 project applications were received.
Dr. Wu Jie, a young physician from the Department of Gastroenterology at Xiangya Hospital, is the principal investigator for this approved project. The project aims to conduct a cluster randomized controlled trial in the digestive endoscopy centers of county-level hospitals in Hunan Province. It will evaluate the effectiveness of multidisciplinary endoscope disinfection personnel training compared to traditional training methods. Additionally, an online application platform will be developed for monitoring and improving the quality of endoscope disinfection, ultimately reducing the incidence of gastrointestinal endoscopy-associated infections. This research will provide evidence to support clinical practice and guidelines. Other key participants in the project include Professor Liu Xiaowei, Director of the Department of Gastroenterology at Xiangya Hospital; Professor Wu Anhua, Director of the Infection Control Centerat Xiangya Hospital; Associate Professor Deng Jing from the Xiangya School of Public Health; and others from the Digestive Endoscopy Center of Xiangya Hospital.
The China Medical Board, established in 1914 and originating from the Rockefeller Foundation, is a charitable organization that has long supported medical education and talent development in China, making significant contributions to the development of China's medical and health sector. Over the years, the CMB has been the most important international funding organization for our university in the field of medicine and related disciplines. Since the establishment of the first equivalent fund by CMB at Xiangya School of Medicine in 1981, a total of 89 projects at Xiangya have been supported, with a total funding amount of approximately $15.36 million. The collaboration covers various fields, including medical education, public health, nursing, and biomedical research. Currently, there are 16 ongoing CMB projects at our university.
(First Review: Xie Yun, Second Review: Zhou Xingcan, Third Review: Li Xuejun)
