Translating Evidence into Practice Using a Systems Engineering Framework for Infection Prevention

Abstract

The current infection prevention era is defined by the rise of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). Efforts to combat these and other emerging pathogens have resulted in rapid and ongoing evolution of the contemporary infection prevention environment. Currently, HAIs impose a significant burden on the US healthcare system. Recent analysis of National Healthcare Safety Network data from the early 2000s suggests that at least 1.7 million HAIs occur yearly in US hospitals, associated with at least 99,000 deaths. These numbers have likely increased over the past decade and suggest that HAIs are among the leading causes of death in the United States.