IT Reduces Infection Rates, Improves Patient Safety and Lowers Cost at Memorial Hermann

Co-Hosted with AMDIS: Edward Septimus, MD, Medical Director, Infectious Diseases and Occupational Health, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System (MHHS), Houston, and Harvey Nix, Director, Payor Initiatives, MedMined, Birmingham, Alabama. MHHS implemented an information system for infection control and prevention in October 2004 at two acute-care hospitals as part of a BCBS Texas quality initiative.  Dr. Septimus discusses his experience with this innovative approach to infection control through electronic surveillance which has been adopted at over 120 other hospitals across the country.  Infection control departments are no longer limited to targeted surveillance but are able to quickly act on emerging epidemiological significant events across the hospital to reduce the spread of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). Dr. Septimus presents individual clinical case studies and overall results demonstrating how this method reduces the human and economic costs associated with HAIs.  Mr. Nix describes the initiatives in which hospitals in five States are receiving community financial support for adoption.