Applications of Epidemiology - Case Study Example

Application of Epidemiology Analysis of Good Health Hospitals Records and nosocomial Infections over the Past Year As with all hospitals where patients are treated and they seek admission, Good Health Hospital would be hypothetically assumed to possess nosocomial infections. As per the Department of Health and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, healthcare associated infections and nosocomial infections are infections that occur when patients are admitted to hospital, which can be understood to mean that patients acquire these infections when receiving healthcare services in the healthcare setting from healthcare professionals (CDC 30). Indeed, the DoH posits that hospital acquired infections primarily contribute to majority of mortalities and morbidities in the hospital setting, accounting for approximately 100,000 deaths every year in the United States. As a result, on the basis of health records from Good Health Hospital, research shows that majority of nosocomial infections recently have happened prior to their identification. From the various types of nosocomial infections that were verified, a few types of infection were identified as stated below; Urinary tract infections Surgical site infections Pneumonia infections Gastrointestinal infections Skin and soft tissues infections Lower respiratory tract infections Blood stream infections Cardiovascular systems infections Eye, ear, nose, and throat infections Case Episodes per Person Time Place Ethnicity Gender Age Skin and Soft tissues infections 10,000 2012-2014 Northern California African American, Asian, Native Americans, Hispanics, and White Americans Male and Female Under 5, 18, 50, 65, and 65+ Surgical Site Infections 1,000 2012-2014 All states All ethnicities Male and female All ages Urinary tract infections 1,000 2012-2014 All states All ethnicities Male and female All ages Pneumonia infections 1,000 2012-2014 All states All ethnicities Male and female All ages Bloodstream Infections 1,000 2012-2014 All states All ethnicities Male and female All ages (CDC 71) Questions on Potential Litigation Issues with Infections from Nosocomial Diseases Without a doubt, healthcare facilities and providers possess several legal obligations and duties concerning care services provided to patients under their care. Therefore, it is important for the providers and staff to execute their services with the required standards of care and professional skill. According to Mayhall (p.55), nosocomial infections present a main threat for patients in the hospital and failure to provide an environment that ensures the safety of patients will portend legal risks for the healthcare facility. It is essential for all healthcare setting leaders to be aware of hospital infections that are a critical cause of mortality and morbidity in hospitals, afflicting more than two million people annually in the United States. Thus, the healthcare administrator at the hospital should be provided with the questions below that relate to possible legal matters from nosocomial infections identified in the hospital; 1. As a healthcare administrator, what are your plans to prevent the hospital from facing lawsuits related to health associated infections? 2. As a healthcare administrator, what have been your experiences with nosocomial infections in relation to the economic costs on the healthcare system? 3. Can you outline the strategies that the hospital uses to minimize nosocomial infection frequency with regards to a) ventilator-associated pneumonia, b) surgical site infections, c) urinary tract infections, d) bloodstream infections 4. What are your basic goals for controlling nosocomial infections and how do you plan on implementing your plans to avoid legal actions for nosocomial diseases in the hospital? 5. Are there any protocols that are available to assist healthcare staff to deal with patients suffering from confirmed or suspected nosocomial infections in the healthcare facility? Are there any policies that you would put in place to be implemented by staff members considering problems arising from potential litigation related to health associated infections? One important reason for asking these questions is the fact that it has been reported that nosocomial infections have negative outcomes for healthcare settings and healthcare providers. According to Mayhall (p.57), healthcare associated infections in hospital facilities are becoming increasingly important for the general public and healthcare professionals, especially with the number of legal actions regarding nosocomial infections rising, which as enhanced a feeling of anxiety among healthcare professionals. In addition, Administrative case law of 1988 provides for a system that tends to be more favorable towards the victims of infection in civil courts dealing with private healthcare facility litigation (Mayhall 57). Therefore, the questions posed above are meant to aid Good Health Hospital’s healthcare administrator educate their staff concerning the legal permutations in relation to nosocomial infections. Targeted Audience and an Implementation Plan At Good Health Hospital, the target audience includes patients who have been admitted in the intensive care unit because they are unconscious, have recently undergone challenges, and are in respiratory distress. Moreover, patients suffering from urinary tract infections, surgical site infections, pneumonia infections, bloodstream infections, and patients suffering from health-associated infections will be considered as a targeted audience. Nosocomial infections have been reported as among the most common types of infection attacking both the young and the elderly, of which the elderly are at the most risk since their normal pulmonary defence mechanisms are aging (Kaye 32). The target audience for surgical site infections will consist of more males than females with an age range of between 56 and 68 years, while these patients lead among all patients suffering from HAIs as a result of vascular surgery procedures. Generally, nosocomial infections develop within 48 hours of admission to hospital with at least 2.7% of all patients in hospital acquiring nosocomial infections in 2012 and economic costs of the infections standing at ~1 billion (Kaye 32). At present, treatment costs are projected to amount to $5-10 billion with at least 100,000 deaths being reported every year as a result of nosocomial infections. With regards to the implementation plan at Good Health Hospital for the prevention of nosocomial infections, the following will be accounted for; Appoint a team leader for the coordination of plan implementation to prevent nosocomial infections Formulate and propose a budget for the plan Provide formal orientation for healthcare staff in the hospital in prevention of nosocomial infections Provide training for healthcare professionals aimed at preventing and managing nosocomial infections For the final implementation plan, the following four steps will be used at Good Health Hospital; Preparation and distribution of handouts to all staff involved in preventing and managing nosocomial infections so as to educate them on how to best prevent HAIs (Kaye 41) Provide video shows and lectures to enhance the staff’s knowledge about risk factors related to nosocomial infections, especially regarding financial burden and risks of litigation and the health of patients faced by the hospital due to nosocomial infections Help the healthcare staff to identify different forms of nosocomial infections, as well as how patients can contract nosocomial infections from the hospital following admission (Kaye 41) Teach and promote hand hygiene for healthcare staff prior to and after contact with patients, including the use of hygiene and antisepsis agents, hand hygiene following removal of gloves, and the use of hand rubs based on alcohol. Recommendations based on Steps Taken in the Implementation Plan The five recommendations for the head of department at Good Health Hospital with regards to the required steps for implementing the plan to prevent nosocomial infections are as follows; 1. Cleaning of hands by healthcare staff immediately after they perform an aseptic process, by which the patient will save their patients from contracting nosocomial infections (Leone et al 61) 2. Healthcare staff should sanitize their hands following exposure to patient bodily fluids, as well as after removal of gloves, specifically to protect the patient from harmful bacterial infections. 3. The healthcare staff should use non-invasive procedures where possible and to put patients with nosocomial infections in isolation rooms to lower risks of infecting other patients (Leone et al 61) 4. Use antibiotics to prevent nosocomial infections, although this should be done in consultation with the physician to ascertain that the patient is vulnerable to infection 5. Use sterilization techniques for equipment used with at-risk patients, which kills all bacteria on the equipment surface by exposing them to dry heat, ionizing radiation, chemicals, or pressurized steam (Leone et al 62) Safety Protocol Itinerary A safety protocol itinerary is meant for the general public and healthcare staff to access evidence-based information regarding the control and prevention of infection in the hospital. A hospital infection, control team will be formed with the aim of looking into the hospital’s infection control needs, which will include clinical administrators and obligations, nurses, and physicians (Jarvis 29). This team will implement the recommended nosocomial infection prevention recommended plan and policies, while also providing advice on nosocomial control. The team will be responsible for carrying out the following; Constant investigation and verification of possibly risky procedures and infection cases Surveillance and monitoring of infections and control methods respectively Providing advice on how to manage patients with nosocomial infections, specifically patients in isolation Preparing monthly reports on infection control and yearly programs for infection control Provide training activities ideas in the control of nosocomial infections and compliance auditing Producing up-to-date policies ion nosocomial infections and monitoring their implementation Aiding different hospital departments in their endeavours to reduce nosocomial infections, as well as to implement a compulsory policy on hand washing Works Cited Center for Disease Control. Prevalence Survey for Nosocomial Infections. Atlanta, Ga: Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, Center for Disease Control, Bureau of Epidemiology, Bacterial Diseases Division, Hospital Infections Branch, Training and Consultation Activity, 2013. Print. Kaye, Keith S. Infection Prevention and Control in the Hospital. Philadelphia: Saunders, 2011. Internet resource. Jarvis, William R. Bennett & Brachman's Hospital Infections. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2014. Print. Leone, Marc; Martin, Claude & Vincent, Jean-Louis. Uncommon Diseases in the ICU. Dordrecht: Springer, 2014. Internet resource. Mayhall, Glen. Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2011. Internet resource. Read More