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Article Title: “Healthcare Trends: Infection Control Efforts Intensify”

Source: Medtech Insight, Volume 7, Number 9

Date: September 2005

Contact Information: Tel: 888-290-2225 

Email: www.medtechinsight.com

This article is an outstanding encapsulation of the intensifying attention being paid to Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI’s).  Medtech Insight outlines the efforts of the new Pennsylvania Patient Safety Initiative launched by the Delaware Valley Healthcare Council to reduce HAI’s and improve quality and patient safety.

According to a report by Health Grades of Golden, CO, HAI’s are increasing dramatically in the U.S.  A review of 39 million Medicare patient records showed a 20% increase in the two (2) year from 2001 to 2003!

Medtech Insight features the aggressive Pennsylvania Healthcare Cost Containment Council better known as the PHC4.  PHC4 is at the forefront of requiring mandatory reporting by hospitals on four specific types of HAI’s; Urinary Catheter Infections, Ventilator Infections, Surgical Site Infections, and Central Line Infections.  Six states now require hospitals to report HAI’s to government officials; FL, MO, PA, NY, IL, and VA.  Another 32 states are considering legislation requiring reporting. 

Article Quotations:

• Hospital Acquired Infections in the U.S. increased 20% from 2001 to 2003
• The CDC estimates that 2 million patients/year acquire infections while in the hospital (5-10% of all hospitalized patients)
• 90,000 patients die of HAI’s every year in the U.S.
• At least $4.5 Billion in additional costs are a result of HAI’s (This number may be grossly underestimated)

        (Note: PA alone estimated that they spend $2 Billion in extra costs to fight HAI’s)

• 50% of all MD’s do not wash hands between seeing patients
• 6 states now require mandatory HAI reporting – PA, NY, MO, VA, NY, and IL
• On Jan 1, 2006 all Pennsylvania hospitals will be required to repot to PHC4 with the very real threat of a $10,000/day fine for non-compliance
• Pennsylvania’s PHC4 has indicated that in fact they believe because of serious under-reporting of  HAI’s, the actual HAI incidence in 2004 might be 115,631 vs. the 11,668 reported.
• According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Qualis Health, June 2005  patients that develop surgical site infections:

• are 2 times more likely to die
• are 5 o 6 times more likely to require readmission
• are likely to stay in the hospital twice as long
• incur $30,000 to $50,000 higher costs for major surgical procedures compared with patients that do not develop surgical site infections
• PA reported 11,668 HAI’s in 2004, 1,793 deaths due to HAI’s, 205,000 extra hospital days, and $2 billion in additional hospital charges to treat HAI’s