The importance of preventing healthcare associated infections and protecting patient safety

Sam Miles Date published: Apr 05, 24

Healthcare associated infections are a risk factor in many hospitals and healthcare environments where patients are receiving treatment. Read on to find out what they are and how they manifest, the risk factors they pose and best practices for reducing the risk of these infections and upholding patient safety.

What are healthcare associated infections?

Healthcare associated infections (HAIs or HCAIs) are infections that a patient acquires during the course of receiving treatment in a hospital or other healthcare setting. HAIs can be caused by a multitude of different pathogens including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. They can manifest as a number of infections, including urinary tract, surgical site, bloodstream, respiratory and gastrointestinal.

In the World Health Organization’s 2022 global report on infection prevention and control, (IPC) it was found that, on average, 7% of patients in acute healthcare facilities in high-income countries develop HAIs. The same risk is more than double in low and middle-income countries (15%).

Additionally, on average, one in every 100 affected patients will die from their HAI. The US CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) estimates that, on any given day, one in 31 hospital patients and one in 43 nursing home residents has an HAI.

What is the most common cause of healthcare associated infections?

The primary cause of HAI transmission is poor infection control practices including poor hand hygiene and improper sterilization of medical instruments. Additionally, there are certain risk factors that can increase the chance of contracting an HAI. These include the use of invasive medical devices including catheters and ventilators, surgical procedures, prolonged hospitals stays, the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and a weakened immune system.

The complexity of combating HAIs is exacerbated by multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs)/antimicrobial resistance (AMR). These are microorganisms/infections that are resistant to multiple antibiotic treatment options. It is estimated that bacterial AMR was directly responsible for 1.27 million global deaths in 2019.

Preventing healthcare-associated infections is all about the implementation of data-driven best practices, built into the daily workflow of all healthcare professionals. Patient safety is at the heart of reducing HAIs. Ultimately, implementing best practices in combination with technology like a digital quality management system has the goal of improving patient safety, one aspect of that being reducing HAIs. To improve patient safety, organizations must make sure that the whole organization, not just specific departments or teams, are effective, efficient, responsible and accountable when focusing on and contributing to patient safety.

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How healthcare associated infections are controlled and regulated

Naturally, HAIs are strictly monitored in order to control and reduce their spread. In the UK, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) runs surveillance programs and advises on how to prevent infections in hospitals and care homes. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) alongside Public Health England (PHE) have developed a quality improvement guide to support the management and organizational actions taken to prevent and control HAIs in secondary care settings.

In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) plays a vital role in the prevention and control of HAIs. Like the UKHSA, they run surveillance and monitoring programs, collecting data that forms the basis of annual progress reports. They provide guidelines and advice on topics including hand hygiene and surgical site infection. They also support federal, state and local health departments in investigating and responding to HAI outbreaks and in researching and developing new strategies to prevent healthcare-associated infections.

The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also play a critical role in protecting healthcare workers from contracting an infectious disease or HAI. Standards like the Bloodborne Pathogen Standard protect healthcare professionals who may be exposed to blood or other body fluids. Similarly, the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard ensures that information about the hazards of certain chemicals used in healthcare must be available and understandable to healthcare workers.

How to prevent healthcare associated infections with best practices

Effective quality management is an essential part of safe healthcare delivery. Some healthcare organizations might primarily see a digital quality management system as a way of ensuring an easier way to gain accreditation for standards. That is one of the benefits in terms of making the audit process simplier, but a digital QMS can also be a powerful asset in infection control. Here’s how:

Sharing and tracking best practice

Arguably the most important factor in reducing HAIs is best practice behavior when it comes to hand hygiene and sterilization of medical equipment. A digital QMS allows you to efficiently distribute best practice guidelines to your staff and also track who has completed training courses. You can easily set up regular reminders and refresher sessions which will ensure consistency in healthcare practices, reducing errors and establishing a strong culture of accountability.

Data-driven decisions

As we’ve mentioned, monitoring and reporting on HAIs is a universal requirement of all healthcare bodies to better understand the causes and to prevent future outbreaks. But this shouldn’t just be tracking outbreaks. If you’re tracking data on incidents, infection rates and patient data, among other data points, you’re able to analyze the information collected and predict trends that will improve healthcare delivery and patient safety.

Continuous improvement

The ultimate goal of any quality management system is the strive towards continuous improvement. This is crucial in the ongoing battle against HAIs. It’s through continuous improvement – evaluating outcomes, targeted interventions, consistent training and education and supported collaboration between departments – that you will see sustained reductions in HAIs.

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