Study: Physician leadership, improved practices needed to fight healthcare-associated infections

To cut down significantly on the rate of healthcare-associated infections, it will take not only improved infection prevention practices, but also more executive and physician leadership on the subject, according to a new survey. 

The survey, conducted by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology and Premier, reached out to 930 infection-control specialists. Of the respondents, only 15 percent said that executives and physician leaders were actively engaged the battle against infections in their facilities. Meanwhile, 30.3 percent said that executives and physicians are critical to meeting these challenges.

Of the respondents, 57.6 percent said that infection control was a regular agenda item at board meetings, but only 15.3 percent of respondents had gotten feedback and recommendations from senior leaders.

When asked what the biggest challenges were in HAI prevent, survey respondents cited removing unnecessary indwelling urinary catheters (55.5 percent) as the toughest measure to implement. But measuring compliance with hand hygiene practices recommended by the CDC was also a major challenge, identified by 35.5 percent of survey-takers.

To learn more about this survey:
- read this HFMA News piece

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