Three of the most stubborn and dangerous healthcare-associated infections are on the rise in acute care settings across the country, according to the Leapfrog Group, which published its spring 2023 Hospital Safety Grades on Wednesday.

WHY IT MATTERS
Data from the new Leapfrog report show double-digit increases in HAIs, including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, central line-associated bloodstream infections and catheter-associated urinary tract infections.

Those rates were at a five-year high in the thick of the COVID-19 crisis – and remain elevated according to the report, which compared this infection data for this Safety Grades cycle (covering late 2021 and 2022) to the previous grades from 2021.

Nationwide, according to those numbers:

• Average CLABSI standard infection ratio increased by 60%.

• Average MRSA standard infection ratio increased by 37%.

• Average CAUTI standard infection ratio increased by 19%.

"The dramatic spike in HAIs reported in this Safety Grade cycle should stop hospitals in their tracks," said Leapfrog Group CEO Leah Binder in a statement. "Infections like these can be life or death for some patients. We recognize the tremendous strain the pandemic put on hospitals and their workforce, but alarming findings like these indicate hospitals must recommit to patient safety and build more resilience."

The standardized infection ratio measurement – which compares the actual number of HAIs at each hospital to the predicted number of infections – is applied to six different HAIs in the Leapfrog Report.

Across the country, increases in infections varied by state. Thirty-two out of 50 states had a significant increase of CLABSI, while 18 states had a significant increase of MRSA. In both cases the biggest increase was in West Virginia. Meanwhile, 11 out of 50 states saw a significant increase of CAUTI, with the biggest increase seen in New Mexico.

While MRSA, CLABSI and CAUTI rates worsened, on average, one positive sign was that C. Diff infections improved 15% from spring 2021 to spring 2023. Also, there was not a significant change for post-surgical site infections.

THE LARGER TREND
Leapfrog also had some criticism for hospitals in another area. The Safety Grades report showed a continued decline in patient experience, as reported by patients and correlated with patient outcomes.

The Leapfrog Group reports on five specific patient experience measures with an impact on patient safety outcomes: communication, doctor communication, staff responsiveness, communication about medicine and discharge information.

Nationwide, all of them have dipped from pre-pandemic levels, the new report shows – with the most significant declines in communication about medicine (down 4.28%) and staff responsiveness (down 3.46%).

Despite these safety concerns, some hospitals are making strides in managing HAIs and preventing their most adverse effects by using technology to improve their patient safety efforts.

Just today, HITN managing editor Bill Siwicki profiled Tampa General, which has effected a decrease in its sepsis early death rate while deploying early warning systems – which have also helped increase its clinicians' use of evidence-based order sets, decreasing overall mortality across the hospital.

And at Children's Mercy Kansas City, a new NASA-inspired Patient Progression Hub is using AI predictive analytics and real-time data to streamline care coordination, boost safety and improve patient experience from admission until discharge.

ON THE RECORD
"Not only are HAIs among the leading causes of death in the U.S., they also increase length of hospitalization stays and add to costs," said Binder about the new Leapfrog report. "Our pre-pandemic data showed improved HAI measures, but the spring 2023 Safety Grade data spotlights how hospital responses to the pandemic led to a decline in patient safety and HAI management."

Mike Miliard is executive editor of Healthcare IT News
Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS publication.