Great Plains Quality Innovation Network was recently awarded special funding to work with home health agencies in our region to develop and test educational interventions to prevent and manage common infections observed in home health; such as respiratory, urinary tract and wound infections.
The Issue
Few home health specific infection prevention and management tools and resources exist.
With the expanded scope and intensity of home health services, infection prevention and control are more critical than ever.
A significant number of patients admitted to home health develop infections; estimates are as high as 1.2 million per year, with the predominant risk factor being the presence of a medical device (i.e., catheter). Additionally, 20 percent of home health patients require wound management¹.
Partnering for Improvement
This innovative work is a unique opportunity being piloted in our region. Participating agencies will work in tandem with Great Plains QIN to decrease home health acquired infections (respiratory, urinary tract and wounds) through improved access to infection prevention education, resources and information. If successful, these infection prevention and management resources will be spread nationally via the Home Health Quality Improvement (HHQI) National Campaign.
We will be recruiting home health agencies in our region shortly and look forward to sharing updates and resources as they become available.
For more information related to our efforts, visit our Web site for more details.
Similar Efforts and More Information
There are several other CMS Special Innovation Projects aimed to drive better care, smarter spending and healthier people. Access the CMS press release to learn more.
Source: Association for Professionals in Infection Prevention and Epidemiology, Inc. (APIC) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC). Surveillance Definitions for Home Health Care and Home Hospice Infections; February 2008.