New Jersey legislators are moving ahead with a bill which would let the state publish hospital-by-hospital infection rates. The bill would require hospitals to track major complications like surgical-site infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia and central-line infections, while giving the state's health commissioner the option to expand the list or extend the requirements to other types of health facilities. Hospitals would report the data each quarter. It would be adjusted for patient acuity and patient mix. The bill is supported by a wide range of stakeholders, including, significantly, the New Jersey Hospital Association. However, NJHA executives warned that the new regs would only work if reporting rules were consistent and methods for detecting such infections were standardized.
To find out more about the bill:
- read this piece in The Star-Ledger
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