Organizational Policies: Impact of Hospital-Acquired Infections

Impact of Hospital-Acquired Infections
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Impact of Hospital-Acquired Infections
Also referred to as nosocomial infections, hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are infections that patients develop during their stay at the hospital or other healthcare facilities. They are caused by bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens and the most common types of HAIs are central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), hospital-acquired pneumonia, surgical site infections, and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), among others (Monegro, Muppidi, & Regunath, 2020). Certain patients are at a higher risk of developing HAIs than others. These patients include older patients, patients with weak immune systems, those with chronic conditions, as well as those who have stayed longer in hospitals, among others (Monegro, Muppidi, & Regunath, 2020). HAIs are a global issue that not only affects specific healthcare organizations but the overall healthcare system. According to Khan, Baig, and Mehboob, (2017) seven and ten out a hundred patients in developed and developing countries, respectively, develop HAIs. HAIs threaten patient safety and prolong hospital stays. As a result, close monitoring and active prevention practices are required to ensure that patients are protected.
Cleveland Clinic is not an exception when it comes to HAIs. The organization’s leaders have put in place strategies to address HAIs, but there remains a lot to be done to eliminate HAIs. In 2015, the rate of HAIs at the organization was 2.45 and has reduced to 0.57 in 2018 (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.). This reduction means that more patients have been protected from longer hospital stays and patient safety has improved. However, improvements in this area seem to have flattened (Cleveland Clinic, 2019). A consultation with one of the hospital’s leaders revealed that treating an HAI costs the hospital at least $800 per patient. Besides, the hospital has lost money in the tune of millions in lawsuits following the death of a patient after they developed an HAI. These are funds that could be invested in other areas such as hiring more healthcare workers and improving the quality of care.
Article Summary
A recent case study conducted by Shelley (2018) examined how a specific organization is addressing HAIs. The study first pointed out the threat posed by HAIs n organizations. This threat manifests in terms of financial, ethical, legal, and regulatory risks as well as a decline in patient safety. The study revealed that understanding the root causes of HAIs through the establishment of an inter-professional HAI workgroup is critical in addressing HAIs. Also, following the improvement guidelines provided by the Institute for Healthcare is imperative in eliminating HAIs. The study concluded that for organizations to improve their reputation and become providers of quality healthcare, they need to continuously improve their efforts in addressing HAIs.
Another study by Harris, Pineles, and Perencevich (2016) assessed how infection prevention can address HAIs and specifically, antimicrobial resistance. The study revealed that for every ten patients admitted to a hospital in the USA, two ends up developing HAIs which contributes to high mortality rates and hospital costs. As a result, evidence-based interventions, such as the use of chlorhexidine baths and scrubs, have been established, with the help of the USA government, to help reduce HAIs prevalence. However, the study indicated that HAIs remains a challenge because new pathogens keep on emerging.
These two articles indicate that various healthcare organizations use various interventions to address HAIs. These include the establishment of inter-professional HAIs workgroups which not only identify current evidence on HAIs, such as hand-washing and appropriate removal of personal protective equipment (PPE) but also ensure that such evidence is implemented in the organization (Shelley, 2018). Also, the use of chlorhexidine baths and scrubs as well as silver-coated endotracheal tubes in organizations have been revealed as effective, evidence-based interventions in the reduction of HAIs (Harris, Pineles, & Perencevich, 2016).
Strategies for Addressing the Organizational Impact of HAIs
Some of the strategies for addressing the organizational impact of HAIs identified from the scholarly resources include quality improvement initiatives. Quality improvement has been instrumental in reducing hospital costs associated with HAIs, which are often catered for by the healthcare organization (Harris, Pineles, & Perencevich, 2016). Quality improvement initiatives facilitate the implementation of evidence-based interventions for eliminating HAIs such as hand-washing and appropriate use and removal of PPE. Also, the use of inter-professional HAI workgroup in organizations was revealed to be effective in the implementation of evidence-based interventions for reducing HAIs. Due to the nature of collaboration in such teams, the necessary measures were taken not only by healthcare workers at the frontline but by every other healthcare worker (Shelley, 2018). They all worked towards accomplishing the same goal of eliminating HAIs and contributed ideas that could facilitate quality improvement.
Such strategies can enhance patient safety at Cleveland Clinic. Quality improvement initiatives ensure that healthcare workers and organizational leaders are continuously working towards providing high-quality care. High-quality care cannot be achieved if the organization is constantly handling HAIs. Also, inter-professional groups designed to specifically address HAIs will facilitate the implementation of evidence-based interventions at every stage of care provision. However, having an inter-professional team might be time-consuming since the decision-making process will be longer as every team member has to be allowed to participate. However, such an impact would be worth it in the long run.
Developing Organizational Policies and Practices
Two major competing needs impact HAIs. These are (i) the time needed for handwashing and (ii) the time needed to perform patient care duties to completion. Poor hand hygiene is a key contributing factor to the high prevalence of HAIs in healthcare settings (Sadule-Rios & Aquilera, 2017). To address this issue and prevent the occurrence of HAIs, guidelines on appropriate hand hygiene have been provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) and also by other healthcare organizations specific to countries, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US. Some of the guidelines recommend hand washing as one of the practices for maintaining hand hygiene by healthcare workers. Yet, compliance with this guideline has been low despite the benefits associated with handwashing and hand hygiene in general (Sadule-Rios & Aquilera, 2017). One of the reasons for this low compliance is the competing needs presented by limited time. As revealed by Piras, Lauderdale, and Minnick (2017), many healthcare workers find handwashing and other hand hygiene practices to be time-consuming. The frequency of handwashing behavior among healthcare workers requires time and healthcare workers would rather use that time to provide adequate patient care. The time for handwashing and time for direct patient care are the competing needs i...