epic3: An evidence-based approach for protecting patients and saving lives

418 British Journal of Healthcare Management 2014 Vol 20 No 9 © 2 01 4 M A H ea lth ca re L td infections and surgical site infections are the most common HCAIs, other more serious infections occur. These can include dangerous bloodstream infections associated with the frequent use of intravascular access devices. These infections frequently worsen the patient’s underlying condition, prolong recovery, delay hospital discharge, postpone new admissions and may cause serious disability and death. In addition, these infections significantly increase the cost of care. Almost 15 years ago, the estimated costs to NHS hospitals in England for people that acquired HCAIs was over £1 billion a year, the equivalent to the annual running costs of more than eight NHS hospitals (Plowman et al, 1999). Surely this cost to the NHS will have greatly escalated since then. As people become more aware of the risk of infection, they often become frightened and lose confidence in the NHS to protect them from acquiring new infections during periods of hospitalisation. As society become ever more litigiousness, patients are increasingly likely to seek compensation if harmed by any avoidable risk, including HCAIs. During recent years, a series of highly focused and integrated strategies have been initiated in the UK to better protect patients from the risk of acquiring HCAIs. Although extraordinarily successful in reducing the rates of infection caused by some specifically targeted microbial threats, such as meticillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium difficile (National Audit Office 2012), newer types of pathogenic drug-resistant microorganisms, such as enterobacteriaceae, have emerged that are equally—if not more— dangerous and often difficult or impossible to treat with drug-sensitive antimicrobial agents. Many, if not most of these infections, are preventable and essential tools to do this include: Robert J Pratt CBE, Emeritus Professor of Nursing, University of West London epic3: An evidence-based approach for protecting patients and saving lives