Infection-control plan still not ready for publishing

As noted recently in a H&HN article recently, handwashing campaigns are largely ineffective as compliance rates are still only about 50 percent. Surveillance methods are necessary to address the problem.

Hospital executives and infection control practitioners should consider IT solutions to foster a culture of safety. RFID solutions in particular have demonstrated the ability to improve patient safety by tracking and visibility into realtime compliance with adopted policies and procures. Additionally, it puts a uniform mechanism in place for shared accountability and transparency.

RFID also offers the added benefit of interoperability with currently used systems and infrastructure, from enhancing bar-coding systems already in place to automatic notifications, billing and updates to EHRs and other patient information systems to bridge communication across the continuum of care.

The ROI is apparent in this type of technology, as the cost of HAIs surpasses 5 billion dollars annually. A simple, but effective, RFID solution can start as low as $15,000 and yield immediate results through improved patient safety, reduction in costs and minimization of risks.

Another added value of RFID for this purpose is that it is easily scalable and adaptable for other tracking purposes -- like inventory management, asset tracking, medication tracking and lab & sample tracking.

HHS should evaluate RFID more closely for recommendation, as the benefits will trickle down as well as up -- improving satisfaction rates of patients and staff, as well as reducing HAIs and ADEs which cost gov't billions of dollars.

We have to start thinking innovatively about how to approach age-old problems like infection control with evidence-based practices supported by healthcare IT.