Gamification and incentives to strengthen IPC Awareness during International Infection Prevention and Control Week in High-Turnover and Resource-Limited Healthcare Settings
Tracks
Tāwhirimātea 2
| Wednesday, August 26, 2026 |
| 2:05 PM - 2:25 PM |
| Tāwhirimātea 2 |
Overview
Joanne Azcona
Speaker
Ms Joanne Azcona
IPC Nurse
Health New Zealand - Waitaha and Te Tai o Poutini
Gamification and incentives to strengthen IPC Awareness during International Infection Prevention and Control Week in High-Turnover and Resource-Limited Healthcare Settings
Abstract
Background
Healthcare settings characterised by high workload, fast patient turnover, and limited resources face persistent challenges in delivering effective Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) education. Traditional teaching approaches often fail to engage a transient workforce or compete with clinical priorities, leading to inconsistent uptake of essential IPC practices. The International IPC Week provides a key opportunity to reinforce IPC awareness and promote strategies that integrate seamlessly into existing workflows, helping translate knowledge into practice. Despite growing interest in gamification as an educational tool, there is limited evidence supporting the use of gamified learning combined with incentives to enhance IPC engagement in healthcare environments.
Methodology
The Microbe Mission campaign, by GAMA and Global Medics, was implemented in a large Health New Zealand district during the International IPC Week 2025. Throughout the week, participants scanned QR code stickers strategically placed to solve puzzles related to IPC practice, directing them to brief, mobile-friendly educational content and interactive questions focused on microbes frequently implicated in healthcare-associated infections. This campaign was promoted in advance using internal digital platforms and multimedia messaging to build anticipation and highlight participation incentives. Targeted emails and visually thrilling materials were distributed to clinical and non-clinical service leads to cascade information to their teams, reinforcing that all healthcare worker groups were welcome to participate.
Results and Conclusion
The campaign achieved high engagement across the district, with 4,246 QR code scans during IPC Week. Peak engagement reached 986 scans. Gamification and incentives successfully engaged healthcare workers in dynamic, resource-constrained environments, enhancing awareness, promoting evidence-based practices, and strengthening knowledge of key IPC principles.
Healthcare settings characterised by high workload, fast patient turnover, and limited resources face persistent challenges in delivering effective Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) education. Traditional teaching approaches often fail to engage a transient workforce or compete with clinical priorities, leading to inconsistent uptake of essential IPC practices. The International IPC Week provides a key opportunity to reinforce IPC awareness and promote strategies that integrate seamlessly into existing workflows, helping translate knowledge into practice. Despite growing interest in gamification as an educational tool, there is limited evidence supporting the use of gamified learning combined with incentives to enhance IPC engagement in healthcare environments.
Methodology
The Microbe Mission campaign, by GAMA and Global Medics, was implemented in a large Health New Zealand district during the International IPC Week 2025. Throughout the week, participants scanned QR code stickers strategically placed to solve puzzles related to IPC practice, directing them to brief, mobile-friendly educational content and interactive questions focused on microbes frequently implicated in healthcare-associated infections. This campaign was promoted in advance using internal digital platforms and multimedia messaging to build anticipation and highlight participation incentives. Targeted emails and visually thrilling materials were distributed to clinical and non-clinical service leads to cascade information to their teams, reinforcing that all healthcare worker groups were welcome to participate.
Results and Conclusion
The campaign achieved high engagement across the district, with 4,246 QR code scans during IPC Week. Peak engagement reached 986 scans. Gamification and incentives successfully engaged healthcare workers in dynamic, resource-constrained environments, enhancing awareness, promoting evidence-based practices, and strengthening knowledge of key IPC principles.
Biography
Joanne Azcona is an Infection Prevention and Control Nurse with Health New Zealand – Waitaha and Te Tai o Poutini. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences (with Credit) from the University of Otago. Joanne is currently undertaking further study in Adult Teaching and Artificial Intelligence in Creative Industries, focusing on integrating digital tools, creative media, and AI to enhance healthcare worker education. Joanne is particularly passionate about using storytelling, visual design, and technology to strengthen IPC practice and improve patient safety outcomes.
Jill Rodricks is the Surveillance Lead for the transalpine Infection Prevention and Control Service – Waitaha and Te Tai o Poutini, Health New Zealand. She holds a Bachelor of Nursing and a Postgraduate Certificate in Nursing Leadership and Management, and Health Information Management, and is working towards a master’s degree. Jill leads improvements in surveillance efficiency, data-informed infection prevention, and cross-service collaboration to support patient safety and advance digital innovation in healthcare.
Dr Sarah Berger, Nursing Director, leads the integrated team for Infection Prevention and Control & Vessel Health Preservation and Intravenous Access, Health New Zealand (Canterbury and West Coast). Sarah is passionate about improving collaboration in health care teams to advance vessel health preservation and minimise risk of healthcare associated infections. In her spare time, Sarah likes to relax with a little bit of high dusting and if she has time checking expiry dates on things is always fun…. thermally disinfecting her uniforms with a hot iron is always a goer!
