Establishing a surveillance system for infections acquired in home healthcare

Marin Home Care has developed a simple surveillance system that quickly produces monthly statistics of incidence rates of infections acquired while the patient is on service. Supplemental orders and culture results are reviewed, and combined with computer reports each month. The tables generated give the rates of infection for symptomatic urinary tract infections in patients with indwelling Foley catheters, and bloodstream infections in patients receiving intravenous therapy.