Enhancement of health department capacity for health care-associated infection prevention through recovery act-funded programs

K. Ellingson, K. McCormick, R. Sinkowitz-Cochran, T. Woodard, J. Jernigan, A. Srinivasan and K. Rask

American Journal of Public Health, 2014, vol. 104, issue 4, e27-e33

Abstract: Objectives. We evaluated capacity built and outcomes achieved from September 1, 2009, to December 31, 2011, by 51 health departments (HDs) funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for health care-associated infection (HAI) program development. Methods. We defined capacity for HAI prevention at HDs by 25 indicators of activity in 6 categories: staffing, partnerships, training, technical assistance, surveillance, and prevention. We assessed state-level infection outcomes by modeling quarterly standardized infection ratios (SIRs) for device- and procedure-associated infections with longitudinal regression models. Results. With ARRA funds, HDs created 188 HAI-related positions and supported 1042 training programs, 53 surveillance data validation projects, and 60 prevention collaboratives. All states demonstrated significant declines in central line-associated bloodstream and surgical site infections. States that implemented ARRA-funded catheter-associated urinary tract infection prevention collaboratives showed significantly greater SIR reductions over time than states that did not (P = .02). Conclusions. ARRA-HAI funding substantially improved HD capacity to reduce HAIs not targeted by other national efforts, suggesting that HDs can play a critical role in addressing emerging or neglected HAIs.

Keywords: article; capacity building; cross infection; economics; government; human; medical informatics; organization and management; program development; public health; United States, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act; Capacity Building; Cross Infection; Government Agencies; Humans; Program Development; Public Health; State Government; United States (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2013.301809_5

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301809

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