Three hospitals will implement new technology to help stave off healthcare-affiliated infections and improve patient safety.
Cooley Dickinson Hospital of Northampton, Mass., Lafayette General Medical Center of Lafayette, La., and Mon General Hospital of Morgantown, W.Va., will use SateySurveillor, developed by the Premier healthcare alliance, and tools developed by the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network (DICON) to help reduce the number of healthcare-acquired infections.
A collaboration of the Duke University School of Medicine and 38 community hospitals, tDICON provides physicians and nurses with educational tools designed to help manage of the number of HAIs in a healthcare facility.
“DICON has been providing affiliated-hospitals with regular and timely information on best practices and best technology as well as educational programs on infection control for more than 12 years,” said Dan Sexton, the group's medical director.
The three hospitals will be using DICON and SafetySurveillor as a part of the larger SafetyConnect program, designed by the Charlotte, N.C.-based Premier healthcare alliance to meet patient safety issues and infection-related challenges, said DICON officials.
Hospital officials have said DICON has had a positive effect on the reduction of HAIs, with reduction rates ranging from have ranged from 18 percent to 40 percent in the areas of MRSA, blood stream infections and ventilator-related pneumonia.
Premier officials say SafetySurveillor helps providers reduce infection rates, leading to decreases in mortality and length of stay for infection cases while reducing costs. Other benefits, they said, include a reduction in urinary tract infections, quicker intervention with appropriate drug therapy for critical patients and reduced costs through the elimination of unnecessary MRSA screening for ICU patients.
"Mon Health System is committed across our organization to drive improvements in quality, safety and cost," said Linda Allen, vice president of quality and information systems at Mon General Hospital.
DICON provides training courses for nurses and physicians containing updated information on evidence-based practices for safely inserting central venous catheters and for properly accessing, maintaining and removing CVCs, said DICON officials.
