Hospital Infection Epidemic Proves Costly
Hospital infections is not only extremely dangerous to a patient's health, but expensive as well, according to a recent article in the Columbus Dispatch.
The Journal of American Medical Association Internal Medicine estimates the annual cost of five common and preventable healthcare-associated infections at $9.8 billion. These infections can drag out hospital stays, put patients in intensive care and sometimes kill.
For years, hospitals have been under pressure to drive down infections, from hand-washing rules to regulating procedures so the safest approach is used every time. Efforts at national and local levels have reported success, but hospitals that have driven down infections to the point they are almost unheard of are rare.
"Zero is possible in some of these infections," said Dr. Julia Hallisy, founder of the Empowered Patient Coalition. "...[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="yes" overflow="visible"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="no" center_content="no" min_height="none"][I]t certainly is happening at certain institutions, and they're sustaining it."
Efforts to reduce infections have been described as "relentless." "Secret shoppers" who checked up on the hand-hygiene initiative of staff members in several hospitals found observation of proper techniques go from 29 percent in August 2010 to 86 percent last November. Read the full story here:
Infections costing hospitals, patients
Infections in the hospital setting is a tremendous problem leading to increased length of stay, skyrocketing complications and increased mortality. Many patients enter a hospital for an elective procedure and end up staying far longer due to an unrelated infection they catch simply because they stay in the hospital to recover.
If you have been injured due to medical malpractice please call to investigate your matter fully. Crandall & Pera Law is available to help answer your questions and guide you in determining your next steps.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]