Connecting the dots: creation of an electronic regional infection control network

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Rising global prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE).
• Need for standardized infection control measures and data feedback for effective reduction programs.
• Challenges in tracking and uniformly responding to patients with MRSA/VRE history across healthcare systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and implement a city-wide electronic network for tracking MRSA and VRE.
• To standardize infection control data collection and response among major healthcare systems.
• To facilitate timely dissemination of infection control data to local professionals.

Main Methods:

• Partnering with local infection control professionals (ICPs).
• Leveraging an existing electronic network to create a comprehensive city-wide system.
• Standardizing electronic data from multiple healthcare systems.
• Developing tailored electronic abstracts and web-based data entry forms for ICPs.

Main Results:

• Successful standardization and integration of electronic data from four major Indianapolis healthcare systems.
• Creation of a functional electronic regional infection control network.
• Implementation of tailored data delivery and web-based entry for ICPs.

Conclusions:

• An electronic regional infection control network can effectively track and respond to patients with MRSA and VRE.
• Standardized data and timely feedback are crucial for successful infection control initiatives.
• This model provides a framework for improving regional surveillance and response to antimicrobial resistance.