Hartford – The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) today announced a website for healthcare providers and the public on reporting requirements for healthcare associated infections (HAI).

“HAIs are infections that occur while patients are in a healthcare setting and can be very serious and lengthen hospital stays,” stated DPH Commissioner Dr. J. Robert Galvin.  “This new website  provides a great resource for health care providers and the public to be informed about reporting requirements and how to protect yourself and your loved ones from health care associated infections.”

The new website provides a brief overview of HAIs as well as links to educational information about HAIs, the 2008 HAI Program Report, and other useful information for healthcare providers.

HAIs continue to be a major public health problem in the United States.  The federal Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) published a report in 2005 that stated that in hospitals alone, healthcare associated infections affect an estimated 1.7 million Americans, including 500,000 in intensive care units (ICUs), resulting in an estimated 99,000 deaths and $4.5 billion to $5.7 billion in annual health care costs.

In 2006, the Connecticut legislature passed Public Act No. 06-142, “An Act Concerning Hospital Acquired Infections.”  The intent of the law was to:

• Promote patient safety and improve health outcomes by reducing the risk of healthcare associated infections.
• Develop a meaningful and valid healthcare associated infection-reporting system to healthcare providers and the public.
• Utilize the information collected to encourage and support efforts to decrease HAIs in Connecticut.
• Increase public awareness about effective measures to reduce the spread of infections in communities and in healthcare settings.

Among other stipulations, the law requires hospitals to report specific categories of HAIs to the DPH.  With the collaboration of the Connecticut Hospital Association and DPH, as of January 1, 2008, all 30 acute care hospitals in Connecticut began submitting data on patients in a medical or medical/surgical intensive care unit, to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and DPH.  The law also requires DPH to submit a report on the information collected by the HAI reporting system to the Connecticut General Assembly, make it available to the public, and post the report on the DPH website.

To view the DPH Healthcare Associated Infections Program website, go to the Department of Public Health website at www.ct.gov/dph, select “Programs and Services” at the top of the page, and click on “Healthcare Associated Infections.”

The Connecticut Department of Public Health is the state’s leader in public health policy and advocacy with a mission to protect and promote the health and safety of the people of our state.  To contact the department, please visit its website at www.ct.gov/dph or call (860) 509-7270.

###