GAO report finds IT critical for hospital infection reduction, cost savings

A report from the Government Accountability Office has found that hospitals that successfully prevent infections and reduce costs rely heavily on technology (Source: “GAO: IT critical to fighting hospital-acquired infections, reducing costs,” Healthcare IT News, Oct. 3, 2008).

The GAO research, titled "Health-care Associated Infections in Hospitals: An Overview of State Reporting Programs and Individual Hospital Initiatives to Reduce Certain Infections," found that hospital-associated infections, often called HAIs, are becoming a growing concern as exposure to multi-drug resistant organisms, or so-called "superbugs," becomes more common.

In its report, the GAO identified 23 states that have established mandatory HAI public reporting systems (Ohio is not one of them). The GAO reviewed the efforts and practices of 14 hospitals, including several hospital systems, and visited two health systems, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare in Chicago and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

"Ultimately, both systems conducted analyses indicating that the increased costs of their initiatives were more than compensated for by the reduced cost of treating a smaller number of patients with MRSA infections," the GAO reported.