Ramon Shaban, Brett Mitchell, Philip Russo, Deborough Macbeth
Healthcare-associated Infections (HAIs) are a major threat to patient safety and the quality of healthcare globally. Despite this Australia does not have a nationally coordinated program for the surveillance and reporting of HAIs. Epidemiology of Healthcare-associated Infections in Australia is Australia’s first peer-reviewed evidence-based assessment of the epidemiology of HAIs using publicly available data from hospital-acquired complications (HACs) state-based surveillance systems and peer-reviewed and grey literature sources.
This important work has been compiled by some of Australia’s leading infection control professionals and researchers. It will build national consensus on definitions surveillance methodology and reporting of the incidence of HAIs. In doing so it provides hospitals and those working in infection prevention and control an opportunity to benchmark and evaluate interventions to reduce infections and ensure transparency on reporting methods that will strengthen Australia’s efforts to prevent and control HAIs.
Healthcare-associated Infections (HAIs) are a major threat to patient safety and the quality of healthcare globally. As the first publication of its kind, the aim is to provide transparency of infection rates in the absence of this information being co-ordinated and publicly available in Australia