During an outbreak investigation, what is a primary action for infection preventionists?

During an outbreak investigation, conducting a thorough infection surveillance is a fundamental action for infection preventionists. This process involves identifying patterns, sources, and trends associated with the outbreak, which is crucial for understanding the scope of the situation. Effective infection surveillance helps in quickly gathering data regarding infection rates, potential transmission pathways, and affected individuals.

By analyzing this data, infection preventionists can formulate strategies to control and contain the outbreak, such as implementing isolation procedures and initiating appropriate interventions. Surveillance can also assist in determining whether the outbreak is indeed linked to a specific pathogen, environment, or practice, which is essential for crafting and enforcing evidence-based policies to prevent future occurrences.

Other options, while they may have relevance in specific contexts, do not address the immediate need for understanding the outbreak through data collection and analysis, which is vital for an effective response.