Statistics on HAIs
What is an HAI?
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are infections patients get while receiving medical treatment for something completely unrelated. They are also call hospital-acquired infections or nosocomial infections. Bacteria, fungi, viruses, or other less common pathogens can cause HAIs.
According to the CDC, approximately 1 out of 25 patients who enter a healthcare facility for care will acquire an infection that is completely unrelated to the treatment for which they sought help. [i]
The numbers are staggering – 1.7 million patients will acquire at least one of these infections and 99,000 will die annually. [ii] This is the equivalent of a 275-person passenger jet crashing to the ground every day.
HAIs are one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the U.S.[iii]
The World Health Organization (WHO) expects antibiotic-resistant infections to be the leading cause of death by the year 2050.[iv]
One of the top risks for acquiring an antibiotic-resistant infection is staying in a healthcare facility, such as a hospital.[v]
Many patients who survive an HAI will live altered lives that may include long-term medical care and treatment.
An estimated 20-40% of HAIs have been attributed to cross-infection via the hands of health care personnel who have become contaminated from direct contact with patients, or indirectly, by touching contaminated healthcare surfaces.[vi]
HAIs can be acquired from devices used in medical procedures, such as catheters or ventilators.[vii]
HAIs increase hospital readmission rates. Some HAIs are shown to increase the hospital readmission rate within 30 days of discharge by 60%.[viii]
The Costs of HAIs
HAIs cost the U.S. healthcare system $28-33 billion each year.[ix]
After the signing of the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005, hospital-acquired conditions that “could reasonably have been prevented through the application of evidence-based guidelines” are not covered by Medicare. Medicare does not pay HAIs that were not present on admission — hospitals and insurance companies hold sole responsibility.[x]
As part of the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program (HACRP), the 25% of hospitals with the highest HAI rates have been penalized with a 1% Medicare payment reduction.[xi] As of February 2021, 774 hospitals have incurred penalties.[xii]
In 2011, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services began posting data on Hospital Associated Infections.[xiii] There are now resources that allow consumers to access infection rate information by hospital: https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/
- [i] https://health.gov/our-work/health-care-quality/health-care-associated-infections
- [ii] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/003335490712200205
- [iii] https://health.gov/our-work/health-care-quality/health-care-associated-infections
- [iv] https://www.cda.org/Home/News-and-Events/Newsroom/Newsroom-Archives/drug-resistant-diseases-could-become-leading-cause-of-death-by-2050
- [v] https://www.cdc.gov/hai/patientsafety/ar-hospitals.html
- [vi] Understanding and Preventing Transmission of Healthcare-Associated Pathogens Due to Contaminated Hospital Environment, David J. Weber, MD, MPH and William A. Rutala, PhD, MPH
- [vii] https://www.cdc.gov/hai/infectiontypes.html
- [viii] https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/expensive-hospital-readmissions-linked-healthcare-associated-infections
- [ix] https://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/quality-patient-safety/patient-safety-resources/resources/hais/index.html
- [x] https://www.cms.gov/medicare/medicare-fee-for-service-payment/hospitalacqcond?redirect=/hospitalacqcond/
- [xi] https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-Service-Payment/AcuteInpatientPPS/HAC-Reduction-Program
- [xii] https://khn.org/news/article/medicare-cuts-payment-to-774-hospitals-over-patient-complications/
- [xiii] https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/HospitalQualityInits/HospitalCompare