Over the past week or so, the mainstream news media have crackled with the news of staph infections (including MRSA) found in community schools. Prompted by this, Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA) has filed a bill that would require all hospitals in the U.S. to report infection rates to HHS. Under the terms of the bill, HHS would make such information available publicly on its website.
Such a measure would trump existing infection tracking underway in the states. Right now nineteen states require infection reporting, but not all make the information public. (Murphy's home state of Pennsylvania does make hospital-acquired infection reports available at www.phc4.org [1].)
To learn more about the bill:
- read this Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article [2]
Related Articles:
Texas makes hospital infection rates public. Report [3]
VA program slashes MRSA infection rates. Report [4]
NJ fights hospital infection disclosures. Report [5]
New CDC guidelines target drug-resistant infections. Report [6]
Links:
[1] http://www.phc4.org/
[2] http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07292/826666-84.stm
[3] http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/texas-makes-hospital-infection-rates-public/2007-05-04
[4] http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/va-program-slashes-mrsa-infection-rates/2007-02-07
[5] http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/nj-fights-hospital-infection-disclosures/2007-05-14?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=healthcare_methicillin-resistant%20Staphylococcus%20aureus%20(MRSA)
[6] http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/new-cdc-guidelines-target-drug-resistant-infections/2006-10-20