January 25, 2012
A new report by the state of Colorado’s Health Department is showing a serious lapse in hospital reporting systems. According to an article released by CBS-Denver yesterday, hospitals in the state may be under-reporting cases of serious infections stemming from nine different procedures by as much as 33 percent.
The report examined thousands of cases of health facility acquired infections (HAI) in four different categories, including:
- Surgical site infections
- Central line-associated bloodstream infections
- Critical care units
- Dialysis related infections
Each hospital in the state kept track of the number of infections reported at their facility. This number was then compared to a ratio of reported numbers from other facilities across the country in order to determine the number of unreported cases.
In an effort to correct the problem, the department has implemented a new campaign called The Patient Safety Program. The goal of the campaign is to better educate patients and staff on infection prevention and infection trends at facilities across the state. In the coming year, the campaign will add a staff member to analyze hospital’s infection reports and keep the public up to date on the latest trends. The group will continue to conduct studies on the topic of infections in these areas.
The Colorado medical malpractice attorneys with the McDivitt Law Firm may be able to help you if you have been injured by an infection acquired from a hospital’s equipment, staff, or procedures.
