| Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Infections | |
|
We are excited about the forward momentum in our partner hospitals around prevention of healthcare associated infections (HAI). Our focus over the last year has been on developing tools and education to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) and Clostridium-difficile infection (CDI). Five volunteer hospitals have provided significant input and feedback to OFMQ in the development of a comprehensive web-based HAI prevention toolkit that will debut later this year. Read more.
|
|
The Meaning of Single Use | |
|
By: Cynthia Zips, SM (ASCP), CIC 
While searching for new technologies and free pens, I attended the 2010 APIC conference in New Orleans. As I explored various vendors, I heard one describe his product as being "single use" and how you could "use it all day"! This made me pause and revisit the real meaning of "single use". Read more. |
CMS Rule Recognizes HAIs as Significant Measure of Healthcare Quality
The July release of CMS's FY 2011 IPPS Final Rule lays out HAI reporting requirements for Medicare eligible hospitals that participate in CMS' pay-for-reporting program. More than 3,500 hospitals will soon use CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) to report central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) and surgical site infection (SSI) data to CMS. In turn, the agency will post the information on the HHS publicly accessible Hospital Compare website.
To go to the FY 2011 Final Rule home page, click here. To read more from Infection Control experts on the CDC Safe Healthcare Blog, click here. | |
|
|
|
Infection Control in the News | |
Reduce Infections by Half with a Simple Reminder
Urinary catheters are often left in place longer than needed, and new research shows that reminder systems that encourage hospital staff to remove catheters promptly can reduce the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) by 52 percent. (click here to read the full story from Infection Control Today)
FDA Raises Concerns on Positive Displacement Needleless Connectors
In a letter to infection preventionists, Susan Gardner, director of the Office of Surveillance and Biometrics in the Center for Devices and Radiological Health at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is informing them about positive displacement needleless connectors and the possible link to several patient deaths associated with bloodstream infections (BSIs). (click here to read the full story from Infection Control Today)
Hospital MRSA Infection Rates Plunge 28%
|
| This material was prepared by Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Oklahoma, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. HAI-1117-OK-0910 | |
|
