New Report Offers Evidence That Public Reporting of Infection Rates Can Lead to Improved Patient Care

HARRISBURG, PA – Health care acquired infections were cut by almost eight percent between 2006 and 2007 in Pennsylvania hospitals, according to a new study released today by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4).  Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, pointed to the study as evidence that public reporting of infection rates can lead to improved patient care.

Pennsylvania hospitals reported 27,949 patient infections in 2007 (17.7 per 1,000 cases) compared to 30,237 in 2006 (19.2 per 1,000 cases).  Of the 165 hospitals in the state, 93 reported lower rates of patient infections in 2007.  The study is the first time Pennsylvania has been able to compare annual infection rates since the state first started collecting such information from hospitals.  It offers a unique hospital-wide snapshot of a variety of health care acquired infections.

“Pennsylvania hospitals are beginning to make real progress in reducing patient infection rates,” said Lisa McGiffert, Director of Consumers Union’s Safe Patient Project.  “It’s clear that public reporting of infection rates is putting pressure on hospitals to improve care and work harder to protect patients.  This report offers Pennsylvanians an important tool to find out how their local hospital measures up when it comes to keeping patients safe from infections.” 

The PHC4 report is available online at:  www.phc4.org/reports/hai/07/embargoed.htm

Pennsylvania is one of 25 states that require public reporting of hospital acquired infection rates.  Public reporting requirements have been adopted in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia. 

For more information on state infection reporting requirements, see: 
www.consumersunion.org/campaigns/CU%20Summ%20of%20HAI%20state%20rpting%20laws%20as%20of%2010-08.pdf