Enhancing Hospital-Acquired Infection Control through Artificial Intelligence: An Integrative Review

Rabie Adel ^1* Zainab Abdulaziz ² May Alkhunaizi ¹ Fuad Abuadas ³ Joel G Somerville ⁴

• ¹ Almoosa College of Health Sciences, Al Ahsaa, Saudi Arabia
• ² Almoosa Specialist Hospital, Al-Ahsa, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia
• ³ Jouf University, Sakakah, Al Jawf, Saudi Arabia
• ⁴ University of the Highlands and Islands, Inverness, Scotland, United Kingdom

Background: Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) represent a persistent challenge in healthcare, contributing to substantial morbidity, mortality, and economic burden. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers promising potential for improving HAIs prevention through advanced predictive capabilities.Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness, usability, and challenges of AI models in preventing, detecting, and managing HAIs.Methods: This integrative review synthesized findings from 42 studies, guided by the SPIDER framework for inclusion criteria. We assessed the quality of included studies by applying the TRIPOD checklist to individual predictive studies and the AMSTAR 2 tool for reviews.Results: AI models demonstrated high predictive accuracy for the detection, surveillance, and prevention of multiple HAIs, with models for surgical site infections and urinary tract infections frequently achieving area-under-the-curve (AUC) scores exceeding 0.80, indicating strong reliability. Comparative data suggest that while both machine learning and deep learning approaches perform well, some deep learning models may offer slight advantages in complex data environments. Advanced algorithms, including neural networks, decision trees, and random forests, significantly improved detection rates when integrated with EHRs, enabling real-time surveillance and timely interventions. In resource-constrained settings, non-real-time AI models utilizing historical EHR data showed considerable scalability, facilitating broader implementation in infection surveillance and control. AI-supported surveillance systems outperformed traditional methods in accurately identifying infection rates and enhancing compliance with hand hygiene protocols. Furthermore, Explainable AI (XAI) frameworks and interpretability tools such as Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) values increased clinician trust and facilitated actionable insights. AI also played a pivotal role in antimicrobial stewardship by predicting the emergence of multidrug-resistant organisms and guiding optimal antibiotic usageConclusions: Artificial Intelligence stands as a transformative tool in the fight against hospital-acquired infections, offering advanced solutions for prevention, surveillance, and management. To fully realize its potential, the healthcare sector must prioritize rigorous validation standards, comprehensive data quality reporting, and the incorporation of interpretability tools to build clinician confidence.