Preventing Healthcare-Associated Infections
Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) are a major cause of illness, death, and excess cost in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2002 HAIs accounted for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 deaths. HAIs occur in all settings of care, placing vulnerable populations at higher risk of complications. The financial burden of HAIs has been estimated at $33 billion annually, a staggering figure in an economy with rising healthcare needs and diminishing reserve. To address this issue, it is critical for states to develop a sustainable infrastructure that supports surveillance, reporting and improvement by healthcare providers. Assisting hospitals with tracking, reporting, and subsequent reduction of HAIs within their facilities is an important first step to global reduction of the negative impact of HAIs on patients, their families, and the healthcare system. Since the initial report in 2002, rigorous research and development of effective HAI reduction strategies have increased the momentum for global action to address this issue. (Information from the Kansas Healthcare Associated Infections State Plan – Kansas Department of Health & Environment, March 22, 2010).
Kansas Medicare data in the final quarter of 2008 showed approximately 0.5% or 160 claims totaling an estimated $8.8 million dollars were spent treating infections from an indwelling urinary catheter, a central venous catheter, or treating a postoperative surgical wound infection.
Kansas Foundation for Medical Care, Inc. (KFMC) is working to maximize the impact of Reducing HAIs by partnering with Kansas hospitals, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Department of Epidemiology (KDHE), the Kansas Hospital Association (KHA), as well as the Kansas Healthcare Collaborative (KHC), which is a joint venture between KHA and the Kansas Medical Society (KMS). Efforts focus on reporting and reducing HAI infection including:
- Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections (CLABSI)
- Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI)
- Clostridium Difficile Infections (CDI)
- Surgical Site Infections (SSI)
To access Kansas on the CUSP: Stop CAUTI collaborative information which kicked off November 14, 2011 please click the link below:
http://www.khconline.org/initiatives/stop-cauti-project/60-stop-cauti-kick-off-presentations
To access the state HAI plan click here
To access the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) please click the link below:
http://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/wcEnrollment.html
The following video, by the Illinois Department of Public Health, “Not Just a Maid Service” is one example of the many approaches hospitals across the country are taking to highlight the importance of all healthcare workers in preventing hospital-acquired infections.