Applying Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis to Support Infection Prevention Decision-Making.

Infection preventionists often choose among options that are safe and acceptable but affect patients, staff, workflow, equipment, cost, or compliance differently. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is a method that helps teams compare these options using several criteria. The process screens required conditions, gives more weight to what matters most, calculates a score, and checks whether reasonable changes alter the result. MCDA supports but does not replace risk assessment, evidence review, team discussion, or professional judgment.