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Public Reporting of Hospital-Acquired Infections Is Not Associated with Improved Processes or Outcomes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Darren R. Linkin*
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Division of Infectious Diseases, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Neil O. Fishman
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Division of Infectious Diseases, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Judy A. Shea
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Division of General Internal Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Wei Yang
Affiliation:
Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mark S. Cary
Affiliation:
Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ebbing Lautenbach
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Division of Infectious Diseases, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
*
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia VAMC, Department of Medicine, 3900 Woodland Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (dlinkin@gmail.com)

Abstract

Most US states have enacted or are considering legislation mandating hospitals to publicly report hospital-acquired infection (HAI) rates. We conducted a survey of infection control professionals and found that state-legislated public reporting of HAIs is not associated with perceived improvements in infection prevention program process measures or HAI rates.

Type
Concise Communication
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2013

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