DENVER—Under
a bill approved by the Colorado House today, hospitals in the state
would be required to report how many of their patients acquire certain
infections during treatment. HB 1045, sponsored by Representative Bob
McCluskey, aims to reduce the number of patients who become sick from
infections by making this information public and providing hospitals
with an added incentive to improve patient care.
“Sunshine
is often the best disinfectant,” said Carrie Curtiss, Policy Director
for the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative. “By providing this
information, we can improve the safety of our healthcare system, and
the public has an opportunity to make the best choice for themselves
and their families.”
According
to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, hospital infections
are a leading cause of death in the United States. An estimated 90,000
Americans die each year from hospital infections. Another 1.9 million
people nationwide who develop infections endure longer stays in the
hospital and sometimes require additional treatments and surgeries that
complicate their recovery. Hospital infections add billions of dollars
each year to the health care bill paid by insurers, consumers, and
taxpayers.
“Hospital
acquired infections are costing our nation’s healthcare system more
than $5 billion annually,” said Representative McCluskey, a Ft. Collins
Republican, and co-sponsor of the bill. “We have an opportunity to save
our state millions of dollars in unnecessary medical costs while, at
the same time, making Colorado a safer place to receive medical care.”
HB
1045 requires Colorado hospitals to collect information on
hospital-acquired infection rates and report this data to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention so that it can be properly risk
adjusted. The bill requires the Colorado Department of Public Health
and Environment to analyze the data submitted by hospitals to the CDC
for public disclosure. Beginning on July 31, 2008, the department must
submit its first annual hospital-acquired infection report to the state
legislature. These annual reports will be available on the department’s
web site and will compare infection rates for each individual hospital
in the state and highlight trends and findings based on the data
collected each year.
The
initial July 2008 report will include data on several of the most
common types of hospital-acquired infections: cardiac surgical site
infections, orthopedic surgical site infections, and central
line-related bloodstream infections. The bill establishes an advisory
committee of experts to work with the Department of Public Health to
recommend additional clinical procedures to the data collected on
hospital-acquired infection rates beginning in November 2008.
“Collecting accurate data is the first step towards reducing the impact
of these infections upon our healthcare system,” said Lisa McGiffert,
director of a project dedicated to stopping hospital infections at
Consumers Union. “Once we understand the real scope of this problem, we
can begin to advocate for additional solutions.”
HB
1045 will now move to the Senate for consideration. If enacted,
Colorado would become the seventh state in the country to require
hospital infection reporting. Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida,
Missouri, Virginia, and New York all have adopted such reporting
requirements. Pennsylvania and Florida are the only states that have
issued reports based on infection data collected from hospitals.
In
Pennsylvania, hospitals reported 13,711 infections in the first nine
months of 2005. These infections were associated with 1,456 deaths and
227,000 extra days spent in the hospital. Infections reported in 2004
resulted in an estimated $613.7 million in charges for extra care paid
for by private insurers, Medicare, and Medicaid.
“Today’s vote was a victory for consumers in Colorado,” said Rex
Wilmouth, Executive Director of the Colorado Public Interest Research
Group.
The
Colorado Consumer Health Initiative is a coalition of over 200 health
and advocacy organizations working to increase access to quality,
affordable health care for all consumers. For information, please visit
our website at www.cohealthinitiative.org.
The Colorado
Public Interest Research Group (CoPIRG) is an advocate for the public
interest whose mission is to deliver persistent, result-oriented
activism that protects consumers, encourages a fair, sustainable
economy, and fosters responsive, democratic government.
Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, is an independent,
nonprofit testing and information organization serving only consumers.
Since 1936, its mission has been to test products, inform the public,
and protect consumers. For more information, visit
Additional Contacts
Ben Davis, CCHI: 303-522-6790
Lisa McGiffert, Consumers Union 512-477-4431, ext 115
