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Landmark report will shed light on infection control

Staff Development Weekly: Insight on Evidence-Based Practice in Education, January 19, 2007

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Even if you don't work in Pennsylvania, that state's landmark public report on hospital-acquired infection rates may put the spotlight more on your infection control programs for the following two reasons:

1. Hospital leaders are facing increased pressure to reduce infection rates, knowing that the public will review such data when selecting medical care for themselves and their families.
2. Other states are either preparing similar reports or contemplating legislation to mandate them. Stay tuned to these efforts, because the reporting methods differ by state, and methodologies are still under debate among government health officials, epidemiologists, and industry representatives.

The Pennsylvania report-the first of its kind in the country-was released in November 2006 by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4), an independent agency mandated with improving healthcare quality and reducing related costs.

In the end, all of these developments point to an added emphasis on the Infection Control Practitioner's (ICP) role. As pubic reporting becomes more widespread, expect more attention from administrators.

To learn more, go to Briefings on Infection Control (BOIC). For the cost of just three stories, you can get the entire February issue of BOIC. Click here to choose between the PDF and HTML versions for just $30. Subscribers to the online version of BOIC have free access to this article. Subscribers to the print newsletter can find this article in their February issue.

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