Hospitals constantly struggle to combat hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). In recent years, the development and use of rapid diagnostic testing for these infectious diseases has helped to alleviate some of the issue, allowing healthcare providers to screen patients at the point of admission and take necessary precautions for carriers. Hospitals also want to know this information as quickly as possible in order to document infections. They do not receive additional payments for conditions that were not present at the time of admission, according to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) website.
