By Healthcare Facilities Today

Identifying gaps in infection prevention practices may yield opportunities for improved patient safety, according to an article on the EndoNurse website.

The Ascension Health system conducted a 96-question survey of 71 of its member hospitals to evaluate infection control processes. The survey was published in the November issue of the American Journal of Infection Control. The survey questions addressed policies for placement and maintenance of devices, surgical procedures, evaluation of healthcare workers’ competencies, and outcomes evaluation, the article said.

The survey was part of Ascension Health’s participation as a Hospital Engagement Network in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Partnership for Patients program, a federally funded effort to decrease preventable hospital acquired conditions by 40 percent and decrease hospital readmissions by 20 percent. 

According to the survey results, the majority of hospitals had infection prevention policies in place for the use of devices, surgery, hand hygiene, and multidrug-resistant organisms. However, only 28 out of 71 or 39.4 percent reported having policies relating to antimicrobial stewardship, such as antimicrobial restrictions, the article said. 

Read the article.