Public Reporting of Hospital-Acquired Infection Rates Still Not Required by a Majority of States
For example, only 21 states have passed laws requiring some reporting of surgical site infections (SSI)
There is growing pressure on states to collect and report standardized, accurate data on surgical site infections (SSI) and to make that data easily accessible to patients. This renewed focus on open access to performance quality data represents another milestone in the trend toward transparency in provider outcomes and pricing for consumers.
One consequence of increased tracking and reporting of surgical site infections by hospitals is more utilization of clinical laboratory Clinical laboratory tests that are used to identify infections and help physicians monitor the progress of patients with SSIs. Pathologists and microbiologists have an important role in helping hospitals reduce the number of SSIs.
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