Health Care-Associated Infections: New Study Finds Lapses in Infection Control Practices at Ambulatory Surgical Centers

New Study Finds Lapses in Infection Control Practices at Ambulatory Surgical Centers

Two-thirds of a sample of ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) in three states had infection control lapses identified during routine inspections, according to a study funded by CDC and CMS and published in the June 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. In a statement on the study, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said that ensuring the safety of all patients in all health care settings is a top priority for HHS and noted that HHS has committed $50 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to help states fight health care-associated infections (HAIs). “This is concerning, because when lapses in infection control occur, in any health care setting, it puts patients at risk," Secretary Sebelius said of the study findings. "However, the good news is that we have seen progress in the reduction of HAIs in the hospital setting," she added. Select to access the HHS statement. Of the ARRA funding, $10 million went to states to improve the process and increase the frequency of inspections for ASCs. AHRQ is contributing to the reduction of infections in ASCs by investing in research projects to better understand the factors that lead to HAIs in such settings. Select to access information on AHRQ's HAI projects.

Health Care-Associated Infections

Introduction
A core part of the mission of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is to improve the safety of health care for all Americans. To support this mission, AHRQ has funded numerous projects to reduce health care-associated infections (HAIs), infections that patients acquire during the course of receiving treatment for other conditions within a health care setting.

HAIs are the most common complication of hospital care and are one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States, accounting for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths in 2002. The financial burden attributable to these infections is estimated at $28 to $33 billion in excess health care costs each year.

Background information on HAIs and AHRQ's work to reduce them is available at the AHRQ Fact Sheet Research Initiatives on Health Care-Associated Infections.
http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/haiflyer.htm

Details on the projects funded in fiscal year 2009 are available at the AHRQ Fact Sheet AHRQ's 2009 Funded Projects to Prevent Health Care-Associated Infections.
http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/haify09.htm

Information on the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program -- which is being expanded to include all 50 States, to include other settings in addition to intensive care units, and to address other types of health care-associated infections -- is available at the AHRQ Fact Sheet Ending Health Care-Associated Infections.
http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/haicusp.htm

This page features helpful links to HAI-related information, tools, and resources, and will direct you to AHRQ-funded research and initiatives to reduce HAIs.

open here to see the documents from AHRQ:

Health Care-Associated Infections