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Healthcare Trends in America 2010

MHA Keystone Center Quality Improvement Initiative

Quality initiatives, such as the use of checklists, have resulted in lives saved, shorter hospital stays and reduced costs.

Related Information: Blue Surgical Safety ChecklistSM

Intensive Care Unit (ICU)Hospital-Associated Infection (HAI)
Initiative
  • Launched in October 2003 with results from 74 hospitals as of March 2009
  • Reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in intensive care unit (ICU) patients
  • Launched in 2007 with initial results from 16 hospitals
  • Eliminate HAIs
Interventions
  • Set up a team that includes hospital administrator, directors, nurses and physicians
  • Utilize a checklist to ensure adherence to infection control practices
  • Focus on appropriate hand hygiene, reducing catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CA-UTI) and avoiding CLABSIs
  • Collect data, share findings and tweak intervention accordingly
Results

Note: MHA is the Michigan Health and Hospital Association.
Source: MHA Keystone Center for Patient Safety and Quality (2009) Setting the Healthcare Agenda. 2009 Annual Report.