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PA hospitals oppose infection-reporting mandate

Infection Control Monitor, February 6, 2004

Pennsylvania hospitals are balking at a new requirement that they submit data on the number of hospital-associated infections that occur at their facilities, information that would ultimately be made public, The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, PA) reports.

As of January 1, the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council mandated that hospitals compile data on infections that their patients pick up while at their facilities. The council imposed the requirement so that patients and businesses that pay for medical care will know which hospitals have fewer infections. In addition, the council hopes the prospect of that information becoming public will make hospitals more diligent in their infection control (IC) procedures.

The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania opposes the data-collection method, saying that various factors could put patients at risk of acquiring infections. Those factors may not get reflected in the data, they say. For example, a hospital that treats burn patients, who are more susceptible to infection, might show a higher infection rate than a hospital that treats less complicated cases.

"One of my biggest concerns is we do a disservice to our public by releasing data that is not accurate," says Terry Lynn Burger, manager of the IC department at Lehigh Valley Health Care Network.

Pennsylvania hospital officials also say that meeting the mandate might require them to hire additional IC professionals, taking money away from their IC efforts.

The first round of data is due to the council July 1.

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