Public and private sector healthcare-associated infection prevention partners discussed ways to enhance the HAI data supply chain — collecting, reporting and analyzing HAI data — at HHS' 2012 HAI Data Summit May 30-31 in Kansas City, Mo.
HHS released a report, "HAI Data Summit Summary," which describes the proceedings of the summit, including participants' ideas of practical steps to meet common goals in the HAI Action Plan, which is designed to prevent and ultimately eliminate HAIs:
Relationships and communication
1. HHS should hold regular meetings to "clarify the vision of the HAI Action Plan, discuss HAI measurement and provide ongoing training to [CDC National Healthcare Safety Network]."
2. Vendors should visit smaller facilities, especially in rural areas, to determine their needs for reporting HAIs.
Common threads and standards
3. Vendors should be engaged in "establishing NHSN data-sharing rules and definitions and incorporating them into their systems, as well as a certification process for EHR products."
4. Hold forums for electronic health record vendors, data miners and infection preventionists to ensure vendor transparency and develop vendor-neutral standards.
5. HHS should establish a national standard for the number of IPs required per facility bed size.
Data sharing
6. Amend regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act to facilitate data-sharing across different types of facilities and regional structures of care.
Reporting
7. HHS should require hospital data in addition to aggregate data to be reported.
8. Reports of data should be clear and accessible to consumers.
9. HHS should consider different formats of data for different audiences, such as consumers and providers.
Resources
10. Funding and expertise for sustaining the HAI Action Plan should be channeled through state health departments.
11. Provide guidance to facility administrators on the level of resources needed by IP programs to meet mandates.
Education
12. Provide education and training to states to support their efforts to prevent and reduce HAIs.
13. Provide education to health professionals and the public on preventing, recognizing and treating or caring for HAIs.
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HHS released a report, "HAI Data Summit Summary," which describes the proceedings of the summit, including participants' ideas of practical steps to meet common goals in the HAI Action Plan, which is designed to prevent and ultimately eliminate HAIs:
Relationships and communication
1. HHS should hold regular meetings to "clarify the vision of the HAI Action Plan, discuss HAI measurement and provide ongoing training to [CDC National Healthcare Safety Network]."
2. Vendors should visit smaller facilities, especially in rural areas, to determine their needs for reporting HAIs.
Common threads and standards
3. Vendors should be engaged in "establishing NHSN data-sharing rules and definitions and incorporating them into their systems, as well as a certification process for EHR products."
4. Hold forums for electronic health record vendors, data miners and infection preventionists to ensure vendor transparency and develop vendor-neutral standards.
5. HHS should establish a national standard for the number of IPs required per facility bed size.
Data sharing
6. Amend regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act to facilitate data-sharing across different types of facilities and regional structures of care.
Reporting
7. HHS should require hospital data in addition to aggregate data to be reported.
8. Reports of data should be clear and accessible to consumers.
9. HHS should consider different formats of data for different audiences, such as consumers and providers.
Resources
10. Funding and expertise for sustaining the HAI Action Plan should be channeled through state health departments.
11. Provide guidance to facility administrators on the level of resources needed by IP programs to meet mandates.
Education
12. Provide education and training to states to support their efforts to prevent and reduce HAIs.
13. Provide education to health professionals and the public on preventing, recognizing and treating or caring for HAIs.
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