Lessons learned while implementing mandatory health care-associated infection reporting in New York State

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Healthcare Policy

Background:

• Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) pose a significant threat to patient safety.
• Mandatory public reporting of HAIs aims to improve transparency and accountability in healthcare facilities.
• Legislation is a key tool for driving public health improvements and standardizing care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the key provisions of New York State Public Health Law §2819.
• To outline the development of the New York State HAI reporting program.
• To explain the rationale behind selecting the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) for data collection and reporting.

Main Methods:

• Review of New York State Public Health Law §2819.
• Description of the implementation process for the state's HAI reporting program.
• Analysis of the criteria and justification for adopting the NHSN as the reporting platform.

Main Results:

• Enactment of Public Health Law §2819 in July 2005 established mandatory HAI reporting.
• Development of a comprehensive state program for HAI surveillance and public dissemination of data.
• Selection of the NHSN provided a standardized, validated system for HAI data collection.

Conclusions:

• The New York State HAI reporting law represents a significant public health initiative.
• The program's development and the choice of NHSN offer valuable insights for other jurisdictions.
• Lessons learned from this program can inform future strategies for HAI prevention and control.