chief in CDC ’ s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion ( DHQP ), outlined a future vision for the National Healthcare Surveillance Network ( NHSN ), but first provided a quick assessment of progress and emerging priorities in patient safety . “ I think it is important to emphasize that while infection prevention strategies are available that leverage the surveillance data , there are certain types of infections where the rates remain too high ,” Pollack said . “ During COVID-19 we have seen some increases in HAIs that have included increases in central line-associated bloodstream infections ( CLABSIs ) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections ( CAUTIs ). So , there is much more work to be done in a variety of priority areas that NHSN has identified .”
As we have seen with our earlier look at the current state of HAI rates , while there have been some notable advances , significant and important gaps persist . Pollack acknowledged that nearly all hospitals have implemented surveillance for the main types of HAIs , and while infection prevention strategies are now available , infection rates remain too high overall . He pointed to emerging priority areas , which include addressing harm related to outpatient care , diagnostic error , and healthcare information technology ( IT ), as well as using newly available electronic data to improve patient safety .
As we know , NHSN is a CDC surveillance system that is the main repository for HAI reporting . Launched in 2005 , it is currently used by 37,000 healthcare facilities in the U . S ., with 110,000 individual users . While NHSN is primarily utilized for the surveillance of HAIs , antimicrobial use and resistance ( AUR ), vaccination coverage , and blood transfusion safety , in March 2020 the CDC added COVID-19 surveillance to NHSN ’ s functionality .
State and local health departments have immediate access to NHSN data reported by healthcare facilities in their jurisdictions , and then NHSN reports facility-specific , clinical quality measure data to CMS , where the data are used by CMS ’ public reporting and payment programs .
In his 2021 Decennial Day presentation , Pollock said that leading the way for modern quality improvement and serving as a critical impetus in the clinical quality landscape was a landmark federal law for HAI surveillance and clinical quality measurement called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act , which was signed into law on March 23 , 2010 . This act called for HAI measures to be based on federal prevention targets , most of which were set using NHSN data . It also ratcheted up non-payment for hospital-acquired conditions and introduced the value-based purchasing program .
“ When CMS adopted the NHSN measures for its public reporting and payment programs ,” Pollock explained , “ that was a very strong incentive to enable hospitals to report the infection data to NHSN .”
Other initiatives have come into play , Pollock pointed out . “ We have a variety of National Quality Forum ( NQF ) -endorsed NHSN clinical quality measures used in CMS ’ public reporting and payment programs ; they are in use currently in the CMS program ; the AU measure , which is our most recent measure , is not yet in use but it is however the measure that most closely approximates the automation that we are envisioning for NHSN ’ s future .” Those NQF outcome measures are CAUTI ( NQF # 0138 ); CLABSI ( NQF # 0139 ); SSI ( NQF # 0753 ); MRSA ( NQF # 1716 ); CDI ( NQF # 1717 ) and AU ( NQF # 2720 ).
Announcing the Long-Term Care Continuing Education Webinar Series
The National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration for Long-Term Care ( NADONA ) and Healthcare Hygiene magazine are partnering to develop a continuing education , three-webinar series addressing imperatives in infection prevention in post-acute care .
The webinars will examine key clinical , administrative and regulatory issues pertinent to nursing leadership in long-term care facilities . Scheduled presenters are veterans in this arena and include officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ( CMS ).
To Pre-Register , Click on the Icons
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THIS SERIES WHICH KICKS OFF IN SEPTEMBER AND RUNS THROUGH NOVEMBER .
This webinar series will offer 3 contact hours of nursing continuing education . Terri Goodman & Associates , provider number CEP 16550 , is an approved provider by the California Board of Registered Nursing .
Corporate underwriting is available ; contact Kelly Pyrek at kelly @ healthcarehygienemagazine . com