An operational citywide electronic infection control network: results from the first year

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Rising prevalence of drug-resistant bacteria, including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), poses a significant public health challenge.
• Infection control is a complex regional issue, especially in urban environments, necessitating coordinated strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a citywide electronic notification system for prospective tracking and information sharing of patients with MRSA.
• To facilitate coordinated infection control efforts across multiple healthcare institutions within an urban setting.

Main Methods:

• Creation of a citywide electronic notification system to monitor patients with a history of MRSA infection or colonization.
• Prospective tracking and alert delivery to infection control providers across various hospitals and healthcare systems.
• Data collection on patient alerts, including those originating from different institutions.

Main Results:

• The system tracks nearly 17,000 patients with a history of MRSA in the Indianapolis region.
• Since May 2007, 2698 admission alerts for MRSA patients have been delivered.
• Approximately 19% of alerts were based on data from external institutions, highlighting inter-institutional data sharing.

Conclusions:

• Electronic coordination of regional infection control information is a critical strategy for reducing infection rates.
• The implemented system effectively disseminates critical patient data to 20 infection control providers across 16 hospitals in five different systems.
• This approach demonstrates the potential for improving urban public health through data-driven, coordinated infection control measures.