Infection control challenges: Pennsylvania nursing homes are making a difference through implementation of best practices

Infection control challenges: Pennsylvania nursing homes are making a difference through implementation of best practices

Collection:
Health Policy and Services Research
Series Title(s):
Pennsylvania patient safety advisory
Author(s):
Feil, Michelle, author
Bradley, Sharon, author
Contributor(s):
Pennsylvania. Patient Safety Authority, issuing body.
ECRI (Organization), issuing body.
Institute for Safe Medication Practices, issuing body.
Publication:
[Harrisburg, Pa.] : Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority, [2013]
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Cross Infection -- epidemiology
Cross Infection -- prevention & control
Guideline Adherence
Infection Control -- methods
Practice Guidelines as Topic
Pennsylvania
United States
Genre(s):
Technical Report
Abstract:
The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority began work in 2010 to assess how implementing evidence-based infection control best practices impacted healthcare-associated infection (HAI) rates in Pennsylvania nursing homes. Ten nursing homes with high HAI rates (H-HAI) and 10 with low HAI rates (L-HAI) were evaluated and compared using a standardized assessment tool in tandem with site visits by an Authority patient safety analyst. The evaluation showed limited adoption of best practices in H-HAI nursing homes. In 2012, the 10 H-HAI nursing homes were reassessed using the same standardized assessment tool and a follow-up interview. Improvements to implementation of best practices were reported for all infection control domains and implementation categories. Infection rates from March through May 2012 were compared with the same baseline period for 2010. The analysis showed a 16% decrease in the mean overall infection rate for these 10 H-HAI facilities. Follow-up assessment identified facilitators and successful methods for implementing best practices in infection control, as well as continued barriers and opportunities for improvement. These results suggest that incorporation of infection control best practices in nursing homes may be associated with decreased infection rates and that identification of focus areas for improvement may be achieved through self-assessment using a standardized assessment tool.
Copyright:
Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY-NC-ND license. (More information)
Extent:
1 online resource (1 PDF file (pages 67-75))
Illustrations:
Illustrations
NLM Unique ID:
101609903 (See catalog record)
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101609903