Donald A. Donahue, DHEd, Executive Director of the Center for Health Policy and Preparedness, says hospital-acquired infections lead to substantial loss of life, and waste billions of dollars. In a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers estimate that in 2006 there were 290,000 cases of hospital-acquired sepsis and 200,000 cases of hospital-acquired pneumonia. According to the study, 48,000 deaths could have been prevented and $8.1 billion dollars could have been saved in the United States if patients hadn't gotten infections after being admitted to a hospital.
Dr. Donahue writes, "It is a sad reality that hospitals are often sources of opportunistic infections. Despite aggressive infection control measures employed in healthcare institutions, the fact is that these facilities are gathering places for sick people. Workers, patients, and visitors are potentially exposed to diseases not normally faced in daily activity, often at a time when defenses are compromised...
"This story holds applicability across the spectrum of health delivery and human services enterprises as well as to industries beyond healthcare. While the issue at hand is hospital-acquired infections, it could as easily be employee safety, operational continuity planning, or disaster recovery. This broad relevance points to the practicality of the “Predict, Plan, Perform” model. Rigorous risk analysis reveals vulnerabilities – for hospitals this lies in matters such as hand washing among staff, patients, and visitors, establishment and adherence to effective procedures and protocols, and continuous review and process improvement. Identification and analysis of susceptibilities allows development of countermeasures or contingency plans. Practice and execution of those strategies increases performance and offers opportunities for subsequent predictions, planning, and enhanced performance. Every environment holds hidden threats, albeit not necessarily as dramatic as the risk of mortality. An effective assessment and action plan can save and preserve money, lives, and the organization’s future."