Hospital Compare Website Adds Infection Data

In January 2011, hospitals were required to begin reporting central line infections to the government in order to receive their full payment update for 2013. The CMS mandated that hospitals report their infection rates through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Healthcare Safety Network, a secure online surveillance system that uses standardized definitions and protocols.

The newly added infection data is included under Hospital Compare's “patient safety measures” tab for each hospital, alongside measures of mortality, hospital-acquired conditions such as pressure ulcers, and serious complications such as post-surgical blood clots.

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Source: Modern Healthcare

The CMS' Hospital Compare website has been updated with facility-specific data on central line-associated bloodstream infections, a move the agency says will “hold hospitals accountable for bringing down these rates, saving thousands of lives and millions of dollars.”