MRSA Infections: Prevention & Reporting

Under our Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) contract with Medicare, Qualis Health is helping a set of Idaho and Washington hospitals tackle the issue of healthcare-acquired Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections.

In particular, we will assist hospitals in implementing interventions to reduce MRSA infections and report two related tracking measures to the Centers for Disease Control’s National Hospital Safety Network (NHSN) multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) module.

Our challenge: Go beyond the goal of simply reducing healthcare-acquired MRSA infections and work toward eliminating them completely.

Can it be done? In some European countries, rigorous screening and isolation programs have produced impressive results. Studies indicate that it takes a combination of intensive interventions to reduce healthcare-acquired MRSA infections. The following resources are a good place to start learning about these methods and the literature behind them.

Resources

Registering for the MDRO ModuleA number of training and registration steps must be coordinated between Qualis Health and the participating hospitals. For more information, please see the 13-page "Guidance for QIO-Recruited Facilities" document or one of the accompanying flow charts, all of which are available online. For personalized assistance, please contact Qualis Health (see sidebar for contact information).

MDRO Module
Start here to access the MDRO module, download data collection forms, and read the CDC's most current prototcols.

MRSA Prevention Techniques MRSA Hospital Change Package
This document presents planned strategies, interventions, and positive actions designed to optimize quality and aid in the prevention of healthcare acquired infections. Download the package.

Strategies for MRSA Prevention
Session recorded 11/19/08
As part of the National Patient Safety Initiative (NPSI) conference call series, Drs. Trish Perl and Dale Bratzler shared a variety of strategies for use in preventing MRSA infection and transmission.

Getting Started Kit
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) has assembled several helpful tools into its Getting Started Kit.

Listing of Mentor Hospitals
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) provides a listing of hospitals across the country who have volunteered to provide support, advice, clinical expertise, and tips to hospitals seeking help with implementing MRSA-related interventions.

Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals
Compiled by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA).

Compilation of MRSA-Related Resources
The QualityNet website, which is maintained by Medicare Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) nationwide, also stores a number of useful tools and presentation recordings.