Why is Hospital Acquired Infection Surveillance Important?

Research has demonstrated that up to one third of hospital acquired infections can be prevented with high intensity hospital acquired infection surveillance and control programs (Haley et al. 1985). Assuming that Australian infection rates are similar to those in the United States, as many as 150,000 hospital acquired infections may occur annually (Australian Infection Control Association Expert Working Group 2001).

Surveillance of hospital acquired 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.