Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
Published on: February 9, 2011
Abstract:
The theory of positive deviance holds that in any group, some people are more effective than others even when they have the same resources at hand. The object is to identify those people, see what they're doing differently and share it with the larger group. The Plexus Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently collaborated on a six-hospital positive-deviance study that reduced methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection rates by 70 percent. What these hospitals learned may help others cut their MRSA rates.
Related Concept Videos
Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance
Staphylococcal Skin Infections
Hand hygiene
Hand washing...
Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA
Surface Membrane Barriers
The outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, is a robust barrier comprising layers of closely packed keratinized cells. This dense arrangement prevents microbes from penetrating the body. The periodic shedding of epidermal cells...
Antimicrobial Effectiveness