The study, which surveyed nearly 2,000 infection-control specialists, found that 41 percent of respondents reported budget reductions for infection prevention in the last 18 months, and one-third reported cuts in staffing or resources that have reduced their capacity to focus on infection prevention activities. Budget cuts included decreases in infection preventing training, layoffs or reduced hours and hiring freezes.
The study also found that only one in five respondents has data mining programs — electronic surveillance systems that allow infection-control specialists to discover and investigate potential infections in real time, enabling them to intervene quickly.
Healthcare-associated infections are among the 10 leading causes of death in the United States, accounting for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 deaths annually, according to the release.
Read the APIC release on infection control cuts.
Read the entire study, “The Economic Downturn and Infection Prevention: Results of an Online Pull of Infection Perfectionists.”
