More management and physician leadership is needed to improve infection-control practices and make patient care safer, according to a survey released by Premier and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.
The survey of 934 infection-control practitioners, quality, safety and risk management personnel showed only 15% of staff thought their executive team and medical staff leaders were actively involved in reducing infections in their facilities. Quality and performance departments provided the most active support, according to 48.4% of respondents.
The biggest challenge in dealing with infection was measuring compliance with prevention practices, such as hand hygiene, according to 35% of participants. Timely and efficient tracking of infections across the hospital was the second-biggest challenge, according to 30% of those surveyed. About 42% said adequate infection prevention staffing was the most important resource for combating those challenges, the survey said.
When the CMS implements its new nonreimbursement policy for 11 hospital-acquired conditions—three of which are infections—hospitals will need to ensure they are working collaboratively across all departments to meet evidence-based reduction practices and to accurately code infections, according to Premier, a hospital quality alliance.
More than half, or 55%, of survey respondents said that removing unnecessary urinary catheters is the most challenging prevention method to implement, and 51% said their hospitals need to pay the most attention to ensuring physicians accurately and appropriately document infections on the patient’s record. -- by Jean DerGurahian
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