INFECTION PREVENTION
om/DualAccessLid-JHC to learn more
cliff Lake, New Jersey 07677
Infection Prevention Resources for Post-Acute Care NHSN provides healthcare facilities with a secure reporting platform for reporting outcomes and process measures in a systematic way. Reported data is immediately available for use in strengthening local and national surveillance, monitoring trends in infection rates, assisting in identifying resource insecurities and informing progress toward infection prevention goals. Examples of data reported include:
ʯ Counts of residents and facility personnel newly positive for COVID-19 based on viral test results. The impact of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) is a growing problem amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in post-acute care settings like nursing homes, assisted living, home health and hospice. It is ideal to have a dedicated
ʯ COVID-19 vaccination status of residents newly positive for COVID-19.
ʯ Re-infections in residents and facility
and trained infection preventionist (IP) on staff and ensure facilities have an infection
personnel previously infected
prevention program that is reviewed and updated annually.
with COVID-19.
ʯ COVID-19 related death counts among residents and facility personnel. “Healthcare-associated infections are
measures, systematically, to identify
the fifth leading cause of death across all
problems, improve care and determine
healthcare settings, not just acute care,”
progress toward national healthcare-
said Amanda Thornton, clinical science
associated infection goals. This must be
liaison at PDI. She was the lead presenter
reported back to the National Healthcare
for a McKesson Clinical Connection we-
Safety Network (NHSN).
binar on “Infection Prevention Resources
LTC components in NHSN include
ʯ Staffing shortages. ʯ Availability and surge capacity use of PPE and alcohol-based hand rub.
ʯ Monoclonal therapeutic availability and use. Once a LTC facility is registered with
for Post-Acute Care: What You Need to
the HAI module, LabID module and
NHSN, the Secure Access Management
Know for 2021 and Beyond.”
Prevention Process Measures module.
Services (SAMS) grid card must be used
She suggested that post-acute facili-
“It’s the first experience with NHSN
to continue with the NHSN enrollment
ties need ongoing systems of surveil-
for LTCs,” Thornton said. Nursing
process for the facility. The identity
lance and those with 100 or more beds
homes, skilled nursing, chronic care and
verification process with SAMS must be
need a full-time IP. Long-term care
developmental disability facilities report
completed prior to gaining access to con-
facilities must use the CDC’s Long Term
in LTCF, while assisted living facilities
tinue the NHSN enrollment process for
Care Facility (LTCF) Component to
can only report in the Prevention Process
the facility. A facility should only enroll
track infections and prevention process
Measures module.
once into the LTCF Component.
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October 2021 | The Journal of Healthcare Contracting
