Older Americans who were treated in Michigan intensive care units were less likely to die while hospitalized than similar ICU patients in other Midwestern hospitals, according to a new study evaluating an innovative quality improvement initiative funded by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The initiative, known as the Keystone Project, targeted ways to reduce the number of healthcare-associated infections, which was found to also decrease the likelihood of mortality. The Keystone Project uses a comprehensive approach that includes promoting a culture of patient safety and improving communication among ICU staff teams. The Project also implements practices based on guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, such as checklists and hand washing, to reduce rates of catheter-related bloodstream infections and ventilator-associated pneumonia.
Researchers analyzed Medicare data for ICU patients in Michigan hospitals and 364 hospitals in 11 other Midwestern states. They looked at data before the project was initiated, while it was being phased in, and up to 22 months after implementation. The researchers found that a person's chance of dying decreased by approximately 24 percent in Michigan after the program was implemented, compared to by only 16 percent in surrounding Midwestern states where the program was not implemented.
Read the news release about the Keystone Project.
Read other coverage about infection control:
- 5 Best Practices for Preparing for Your Accreditation Survey
- 10 Recent Studies on Infection Control and Prevention
- Transfer Patterns, Transfer Rates Do Not Affect Transmission of MRSA
The initiative, known as the Keystone Project, targeted ways to reduce the number of healthcare-associated infections, which was found to also decrease the likelihood of mortality. The Keystone Project uses a comprehensive approach that includes promoting a culture of patient safety and improving communication among ICU staff teams. The Project also implements practices based on guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, such as checklists and hand washing, to reduce rates of catheter-related bloodstream infections and ventilator-associated pneumonia.
Researchers analyzed Medicare data for ICU patients in Michigan hospitals and 364 hospitals in 11 other Midwestern states. They looked at data before the project was initiated, while it was being phased in, and up to 22 months after implementation. The researchers found that a person's chance of dying decreased by approximately 24 percent in Michigan after the program was implemented, compared to by only 16 percent in surrounding Midwestern states where the program was not implemented.
Read the news release about the Keystone Project.
Read other coverage about infection control:
- 5 Best Practices for Preparing for Your Accreditation Survey
- 10 Recent Studies on Infection Control and Prevention
- Transfer Patterns, Transfer Rates Do Not Affect Transmission of MRSA