NHS Fife reduces HAI by 80% in 2 years

Jan. 19, 2011 - PRLog -- New figures published 12th January 2011 by Health Protection Scotland (HPS) show that NHS Fife, an ICNet user site, continues to make significant progress in reducing Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs). NHS Fife, figures are once again significantly below the Scottish average for C.difficile and third lowest of all mainland Health Boards for the over 65s (the highest risk group). Case numbers in Fife for July to September 2010 fell to 0.28 cases per 1000 occupied bed days - 19% down on the previous quarter, 80% down on the same period two years ago, and 40% below the national average.

“ICNet is one of a number of measures we have taken in NHS Fife to improve the management of these infections and others.” Says Consultant Microbiologist and Infection Control doctor, Keith Morris.

He continues, ‘ICNet has been a very useful tool to manage infection control resources and patients who are an infection control risk. In particular it is useful to the team for the following

1.   Notifying the team of “alert” organisms in real time ie MRSA, VRE, flu etc.

2.   Using the ICN notes to record interventions. This can be used to audit the Infection Control Team response.

3.   Building reports.

4.   Interfacing with the hospital administration system to tag patients colonised with significant pathogens i.e. MRSA.

In my own view we could not function without ICNet, it is a brilliant system.’

ICNet International continues to talk with HPS in order to ensure that the availability of world class automated surveillance across Scotland, having secured a recent order to supply the majority of Health Boards which already use ICNet with the latest version of the software.

It is likely that all the rest of the Hospitals in Scotland will follow the lead of NHS Fife to install ICNet in the near future honouring the commitment by Scottish Minster of Health Nicola Sturgeon to place major emphasis on reducing HAI.

Link to original article: http://www.nhsfife.scot.nhs.uk/newsItems/html/20110112-ha...

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ICNet is an innovative software package that allows real time collaboration of patient and laboratory data to enable infection control management and surveillance of HAI. It is a powerful tool for the analysis required for mandatory reporting of HAI.