"Simply put, people go to the hospital to get better, not to become ill by contracting new infections -- infections that are proving to be fatal too often throughout the nation," said Rell. "By collecting and analyzing more information on infections and their causes, we will be able to better protect patients. While Connecticut has one of the best healthcare systems in the world, we must continuously strive to improve patient care through oversight, education and public reporting. Only through full and transparent reporting can we aggressively reduce these preventable infections."
Infections contracted in hospitals are the fourth largest killer in the United States, causing as many deaths as AIDS, breast cancer and automobile accidents combined, according to a release from the Governor's Office. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that annual healthcare-associated infections number over 2 million, resulting in approximately 90,000 deaths and $4.5 billion in excess healthcare costs.
The new law creates an 11-member Committee on Healthcare Associated Infections which will be responsible for developing, operating and monitoring a mandatory reporting system for healthcare-associated infections in conjunction with DPH. The committee is also responsible for recommending to DPH methods and programs aimed at reducing the spread of infections, particularly in healthcare settings.
The committee will provide an initial report to DPH by October 1, 2007 detailing the appropriate standardized reporting measures and recommending processes designed to prevent infections.
Public reporting of healthcare-associated infections in Connecticut will begin in October 2008 and continue annually thereafter.
Members of the committee, as appointed by DPH Commissioner J. Robert Galvin, M. D., M. P. H. will come from the hospital and public health communities, as well as the public at large.
"Working with this new committee and with the healthcare institutions of Connecticut, we can surpass the high quality of health care that the residents of our state have come to expect," said Commissioner Galvin.
A healthcare-associated infection is defined as any localized or systemic condition resulting in an adverse reaction to the presence of an infectious agent (or its toxin) in a patient, occurring in a healthcare setting, and which was not present or incubating prior to the patient's admission.
