Continuing Education to Prevent Infection: Collaboration to Save Lives

The potential for a loved one to suddenly be taken by cancer or heart disease is devastating. Fortunately, America prides itself in constant breakthroughs and innovative research studies that have significantly reduced the death rates caused by such diseases.

Such a breakthrough however, does not offset another serious and very avoidable cause of death: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).  When someone develops an infection at a hospital or other patient care facility that they did not have prior to treatment, this is referred to as a healthcare-associated (sometimes hospital-acquired) infection (HAI).

Some of the serious affects HAIs have on the health care system include: lengthening hospitalization, increasing the likelihood of readmission, and adding sizably to the cost of care per patient. “HAIs represent an estimated annual impact of $6.7 billion to healthcare facilities. Examples of HAIs include:

–    Ventilator – Associated Pneumonia (VAP): A source of the highest morbidity and mortality of all Healthcare Associated Infections. Read More About VAP

–    Surgical Site Infections (SSIs): Any breach of patient skin can lead to a surgical site infection. Read More About SSIs; and

–    Cross Contamination (Contact Transfer): Contact transfer (touch contamination) is the number one source of Healthcare Associated Infections. Read More About Contact Transfer

With such a highly advanced medical field, with lifesaving technologies and the best trained doctors in the world, why are 100,000 deaths occurring each year from HAIs?

To answer this question, Kimberly-Clark Health Care announced that it will be launching an HAI Education Program as part of a national infection awareness campaign for healthcare professionals called “Not on My Watch.”

The "Not on My Watch" campaign provides accredited continuing education (CE) programs based on best practices and guidelines as well as research available on reducing the incidence of healthcare-associated infections.

According to their press release, Kimberly-Clark will be partnering with hospitals nationwide as part of an ongoing commitment to quality care and infection prevention by “deliver continuing education programs on healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevention to staff and management.” The program begins by working with busy doctors and providing participating hospitals and facilities with a toolkit that contains informational flyers, patient safety tips and posters.

The program will also give regular updates, more information about how to participate, more resources, and more supplies to help keep organizations aware of the importance of healthcare associated infection prevention. There will be regular and new HAI awareness tools added on an ongoing basis and providers are encouraged to check for updates. Kimberly-Clark will also be using an HAI Education Bus, an impressive new one-of-a-kind mobile classroom that brings accredited CE education right to providers.

With 1.4 million people worldwide suffering from HAIs, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the efforts of Kimberly-Clark set an example for the kind of effective and efficient health care reform providers and industry can use in the form of Continuing Education (CE).

Patients and politicians should incorporate such collaboration and brilliance into their efforts to reduce the cost of health care reform, while still improving care. Calls should be made encouraging Congress to research what kind of investment could be made in such CME programs to help save approximately $7 billion per year, and over 100,000 lives.

Companies such as Kimberly-Clark that provide innovative ways to develop and maintain a variety of accredited education programs by equipping healthcare providers with critical insights and information on today’s important clinical issues are critical for the future of patients and our health care system. With the growing need of better health care for more patients, Kimberly-Clark’s standard for meeting the demand of patients in a fast-paced world by providing in-service training, clinical research and accredited education are astounding.

Just as health care providers and industry have fought for years to find breakthroughs to treat preventable diseases, today physicians and industry must continue to protect patients by reducing the risk of HAIs by continually updating their knowledge of infection management through accredited CME programs, like “Not On My Watch.”

For more details got to www.HAIwatch.com.