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Home News Hospitals Get Better at Reporting Healthcare-Associated Infections
David Morgan
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Hospitals Get Better at Reporting Healthcare-Associated Infections

January 30, 2019 - Healthcare-Associated Infections - Information

A new report from New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) reports medical facilities statewide are doing a better job reporting healthcare-associated infections HAI's.

HAI's are infections people get while they are receiving health care for other conditions. They can happen in any health care facility, including hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and long-term care facilities.

NMDOH monitors and reports the number of these infections statewide. HAI's are a public health concern in the United States as they lead to increased health care costs, illness and, in some cases, death. The report is compiled by the department’s Healthcare-Associated Infections Program and covers HAI reporting from 2015 to 2017.

Using standards set by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the report provides data needed to identify problem areas, measure progress of prevention efforts, and ultimately eliminate healthcare-associated infections.

Between 2015 and 2017, NMDOH gradually increased the number of facilities selected for NHSN external validation: 14 facilities in 2015, to 18 in 2016, to finally, 20 facilities in 2017. Validation, here, means confirming the number of cases reported by facilities. In addition:

  • The number of hospital records validated by NMDOH increased from 285 in 2015, to 762 records in 2017.
  • Despite an increase in the number of records reviewed by NMDOH, discrepancies in reporting decreased from 41 instances to just five, which shows New Mexico hospitals are getting significantly more accurate in its reporting of healthcare-associated infections.

See the Improving the Quality of HAI Reporting in New Mexico, 2015-2017 report for more information.

Media Contact

We would be happy to provide additional information about this press release. Simply contact David Morgan at 575-528-5197 (Office) or 575-649-0754 (Mobile) with your questions.

Versión en Español

En un esfuerzo para hacer que nuestros comunicados de prensa sean más accesibles, también tenemos disponibles una versión en español. Por favor presione el enlace de abajo para acceder a la traducción.

Mejoran los Hospitales Reportando Infecciones Asociadas con el Cuidado de la Salud