Preventing Hospital Infections

Nearly 2 million Americans develop a healthcare-associated infection each year, and some 100,000 of them die as a result. Such infections are highly preventable, particularly through the adoption and implementation of evidence-based methods for reducing patient infection at the point of care. In cases where hospitals fall short of their goals for improving infection prevention, their failures are often rooted in a low rate of staff adherence to the new prevention policies.

In easy-to-read, user-friendly language, Preventing Hospital Infections leads readers through a step-by-step description of a quality improvement intervention as it might unfold in a model hospital, pinpointing the likely obstacles and offering practical strategies for how to overcome them. The text draws on the extensive personal clinical experience of the authors, including examples, anecdotes, and down-to-earth, practical guidance.

Whereas most books focus on the technical aspects of healthcare-associated infections, this book offers the first manual for effecting real, practical change. Whether resistance comes from physicians who distrust change, nurses who want to protect their turf, or infection preventionists who avoid the wards, Preventing Hospital Infections offers an innovative and accessible approach that focuses on navigating the human element in a hospital quality improvement initiative.