Blog

Healthcare industry needs to do more to prevent hospital-acquired infections

To err is human, to continually not protect against it is institutional failure

By Healthcare Facilities Today


According to a recent blog posted on the Becker Hospital Review web site, the healthcare industry needs to do more to prevent hospital-acquired infections. 

While individual hospitals have successfully instituted processes that have made progress in eliminating human error, the progress has not spread as quickly as it needs to.

According to the blog, these conditions are preventable in that the industry has proven methods for significantly reducing and even eliminating their occurrence. Yet, we haven't experienced a major tipping point that has caused these efforts to diffuse throughout the delivery system.

In 1999, the Institute of Medicine published its now seminal "To Err is Human" report, bringing attention to the prevalence of medical errors within healthcare and the lack of an effective industry-wide effort to combat these entirely preventable occurrences.

The report estimated that up to 98,000 patient deaths occur each year because of medical errors, which include HAIs. The lasted report of this magnitude, released in 2009 by Consumers Union and the Safe Patient Project, shows the needle hasn't moved much: It estimated around 100,000 deaths still occur annually due to medical errors.

Read the blog.

 

 

 



September 9, 2013


Topic Area: Trends and Analysis


Recent Posts

Designing for Distraction: Benefits for Children, Families

Designers who can incorporate distractions into pediatric healthcare facilities can help children and families successfully navigate healthcare journeys.


Staffing and Consolidation Reshape Outpatient Facility Strategies

Labor shortages and health system consolidation are driving new approaches to outpatient facility planning.


Adams Health Network Falls Victim to Phishing Attack

Adams Health Network does not have any evidence that the attacker was seeking patient information.


Ventilation and Filtering for Infection ControlĀ 

Poor IAQ can be deadly in healthcare facilities, so maintaining proper air conditioning and filter systems is key in controlling the spread of infection.


ChristianaCare Opens Aston Campus Neighborhood Hospital

The hospital is expected to care for approximately 15,000 patients each year.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

 
 
 
 

Healthcare Facilities Today membership includes free email newsletters from our facility-industry brands.

Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Posts

Copyright © 2023 TradePress. All rights reserved.