The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) unveiled a plan that establishes a set of five-year national prevention targets to reduce and possibly eliminate healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
Healthcare-associated infections are infections that patients acquire while undergoing medical treatment or surgical procedures and are largely preventable.
The Action Plan to Prevent Health Care-Associated Infections lists a number of areas in which HAIs can be prevented, such as surgical site infections. The plan also outlines cross-agency efforts to save lives and reduce healthcare costs through expanded HAI prevention efforts.
“This plan will serve as our roadmap on how the department addresses this important public health and patient safety issue,” HHS secretary Mike Leavitt said. “This collaborative interagency plan will help the nation build a safer, more affordable healthcare system.”
The plan establishes national goals and outlines key actions for enhancing and coordinating HHS-supported efforts. These include development of national benchmarks, prioritized recommended clinical practices, a coordinated research agenda, an integrated information systems strategy and a national messaging plan. The plan also identifies opportunities for collaboration with national, state, tribal and local organizations.
