This glossary was created with input from members of PICNet, PHAC Infection Control Guidelines and the BC Ministry of Health. A list of references is available here. Definitions will be updated frequently and may change or be removed. Please send us your comments and feedback by email to picnet@phsa.ca.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Field Epidemiology: the practice of epidemiology in the field. Field epidemiology is how epidemics and outbreaks are investigated. Its methods are designed to answer specific epidemiologic questions in order to plan, implement and/or evaluate public health interventions. (11)

Fit for Work: Terminology used in occupational health to communicate a worker’s ability to remain at or return to work. The phrase is one of three qualifiers: fit for work, unfit for work, fit with restrictions. It allows the occupational health nurse to maintain confidentiality about a HCP’s diagnosis, symptoms, immune status, etc (10).

Fit with Restrictions: Allows for reassignment of duties or reintegration into the workplace in a manner that will not pose an infection risk to the HCP or to the individuals in the workplace (10).

Fomites: Those objects in the inanimate environment that may become contaminated with microorganisms and serve as a vehicle of transmission (8).