Patient safety measures have worsened by nearly 1% each year for the past 6 years and 40% of patients do not receive recommended care, said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. She challenged hospitals to reduce central-line-associated blood stream infections in ICUs by 75% over the next three years. Two new HHS reports published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (one on quality and one on disparities) found that 1 in 7 Medicare patients experience one or more adverse events; at least 60% of quality measures have not improved for minorities compared to Caucasians in the past 6 years; only 40% of diabetic patients received three recommended diabetic preventive exams in the past year; 7 out of 10 adults with mood, anxiety, or impulse disorders received inadequate treatment; and the percentage of patients acquiring central-line-associated blood stream infections has steadily increased.
Sebelius announced that HHS will make $50 million in grants funded by the American Recovery Act available to states to fight healthcare-associated infections (HAI). HHS plans to make $40 million available through competitive grants to eligible states to create or expand state-based HAI prevention and surveillance efforts, and strengthen the public health workforce trained to prevent HAIs. HHS is also allocating $10 million in grants to states to improve the process and increase the frequency of inspections for ambulatory surgical centers.
