High Hospital Charges & In-hospital Infections
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These days, hospital acquired infections are going by the nom de plume of healthcare associated infections, and hospital leadership seemingly are removed by the lack of accountability. Such infections were long accepted by hospitals as an inevitable hazard of hospitalization. According to the CDC, at any given time, there are approximately 1.7 million cases of hospital acquired infections affecting hospitalized patients in the United States.
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Compromised healthcare
The truth is, hospital acquired infections represent compromised care, and are among the most common complications of hospital care. These infections can lead to significant morbidity and mortality, and kill close to 99,000 patients annually. The overall direct cost of hospital acquired infections ranges from US $28 to $45 billion annually. However, it is now understood that relatively straightforward approaches can prevent many common hospital acquired infections.
- Central line-associated bloodstream infections
- Catheter-associated urinary tract infections
- Surgical site infections
- Methicillin-resistant Staph blood infections
- Clostridium difficile intestinal infections
The metrics of the HVBP encourages hospitals to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of acute inpatient care for patients by:
- Eliminating or reducing adverse events (healthcare errors resulting in patient harm).
- Adopting evidence-based care standards and protocols that make the best outcomes for the most patients.
- Changing hospital processes to make patients’ care experiences better.
- Increasing care transparency for consumers.
- Recognizing hospitals that give high-quality care at a lower cost.
Getting to "no" hospital acquired infections
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Identify key risk factors
Manage high risk factors Focus on better infection control practices Avoid CMS HVBP Penalties |
SafeCareSoft offers EMR-based software applications that aid in decision making and targeting of antimicrobial stewardship efforts against hospital acquired infections to increase hospital value based scores (HVBP) and better hospital rankings.
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Costly healthcare
Total health care spending in America was approximately $3.5 trillion in 2017 and about 32 percent of that amount - or $1.1-trillion - was spent on hospital services. Hospital costs averaged $3,949 per day and each hospital stay cost an average of $15,734. The efficiency of care measures summarizes payments made on behalf of patients for healthcare services starting on the first day of a hospitalization through the next (a) 30 days for heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia (b) 90 days for hip/knee replacement. This includes payments for services and supplies in multiple settings::
- Spending per patient
SafeCareSoft
Getting to no hospital acquired infections
