Home »   Print

Risk management: Can an education program reduce CLABSIs?
ABSTRACT
 
According to The Joint Commission, central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) that occur in an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 patients annually in the United States, have a 10% to 30% mortality, and burden the healthcare system with an additional $300 million to $2.3 billion a year.1 Inpatient payments will now be tied in part to CLABSI rates as measured in the ICUs and nurseries of acute care hospitals. Additionally, National Patient Safety Goal 07.04.01-EP requires that CLABSI rates be provided to all stakeholders on a regular basis, along with educational activities designed to reduce or minimize incidence rates.Armed with these statistics and requirements, the leadership team at our facility elected to implement a program of Interdisciplinary, Comprehensive, Education to reduce Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections, or ICE-CLABSI, as part of a larger corporate initiative to "Aim for Zero" HAIs. A formal research protocol, approved by our Institutional Review Board (IRB), was initiated to examine the impact of the program on the hospital-wide incidence rates of CLABSI and the associated costs based on the extra days not reimbursed by diagnosis-related groups (DRGs). A culture change toward constant awareness of infection prevention was the overarching goal of the program.Current evidence-based practice (EBP) supports a variety of targeted educational techniques for potential use in the hospital setting designed to reduce the incidence of CLABSI.2-4 Based on a review of the literature, an interdisciplinary targeted educational approach was selected.5,6 The education program was administered over a single, 3-hour time period and focused on a variety of teaching and learning techniques centered on EBP. According to the literature, these practices include central-line insertion and maintenance bundles, teamwork, and optimizing patient safety through supplies and hand hygiene.7-9 When combined, these processes.
 
Reference: