Why is Healthcare Associated Infection Surveillance Important?

Research has demonstrated that up to one third of healthcare associated infections can be prevented with high intensity healthcare associated infection surveillance and control programs (Haley et al. 1985). Each year in Australia there are about 200,000 healthcare associated infections (Reducing Harm to Patients from Healthcare Assoicated Infection: The Role of Surveillance (Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, July 2008).

Surveillance of healthcare associated infection assists in identifying:

• Whether there is an infection problem.
• The magnitude of the problem.
• The factors that contribute to infections.

Surveillance also allows hospitals and clinicians to measure the effectiveness of strategies that are implemented to decrease infection rates.

Infection rate data should be used in a positive way to improve the quality and safety of healthcare. Going through the process of undertaking surveillance will not usually influence infection rates appreciably itself, unless surveillance is linked to a prevention strategy. The information must be fed back to those who need to know: infection control nurses, surgeons, intensive care clinicians and hospital management, for it to be used to drive change.