Hospital infections, sometimes fatal, still plague healthcare, Leapfrog Group says

Though more hospitals are reporting infection rates publicly, a new report from The Leapfrog Group shows that more than half of hospitals across the country still grapple with sometimes deadly healthcare-associated infections.

"A record number of hospitals make their infection rates public, which shows commendable transparency and candor within the hospital industry," Leapfrog President and CEO Leah Binder said in a statement. "The bad news is there are still too many infections."

According to the Leapfrog report, the central line infection rate was too high at 75 percent of hospitals. Only 25 percent of hospitals met Leapfrog's standardized infection ratio of zero for CLABSI, or central line-associated bloodstream infection. Sixty-seven percent of hospitals had a infection rate between zero and 1.0, while 8 percent had a ratio above 1.0.

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Also, only 25 percent of hospitals met Leapfrog's urinary tract infection standard. CAUTI, or catheter-associated urinary tract infections are considered the most common type of healthcare-acquired infections, and Leapfrog's standard for this infection is close to zero.

Infection rates also varied by state, choice of hospital and metropolitan area. On average, New Hampshire had the safest hospitals, with 67 percent reporting a CLABSI rate of zero. Rhode Island and Maryland are most in need of improvement, with no hospitals reporting a CLABSI rate of zero. What's more, hospital infection rates vary significantly within communities. For example, one West Coast city had CLABSI rates range from zero to more than five times the expected rate.

Infection rates are declining, but more transparency and quality improvement are needed, the report stresses.

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Public reporting through Leapfrog has helped reduce CLABSI rates, Binder said. For example, the percentage of hospitals reporting a CLABSI rate of zero has steadily increased from 18.8 percent in 2013 to 25 percent in 2015. Yet, three quarters of hospitals still do not meet Leapfrog's standards.

The report on healthcare-acquired infections is the first in a series of five reports Leapfrog has planned to examine key quality and safety measures at hospitals nationwide. The reports are based on data from the 2015 Leapfrog Hospital Survey of more than 1,500 U.S. hospitals and analysis provided by Castlight Health.

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