With all of the discussion of raising the retirement age for Medicare from 65 to 67, a totally unacceptable idea, there is a way to cut Medicare costs, and still keep the program solvent.
That is to address the issue of hospital infections, which can endanger lives, prolong hospitalizations, and lead to readmissions that raise costs dramatically!
Hospitals need to be held accountable for high infection rates, by penalizing such hospitals with decreased reimbursement from Medicare, to force them to change their practices.
The Centers For Disease Control estimates there are about 1.7 million hospital-associated infections each year, leading to 99,000 unnecessary deaths on the average per year!
Thorough washing of hands in hospitals and nursing homes is an urgent emergency, and the record of hospitals as to infection rate and death rate needs to be exposed for all to see, and that will force hospitals and nursing homes to stop being reckless and careless in their treatment of patients!
Fraud and waste need to be addressed, but also infection rates which will allow more patients to go to a hospital or nursing home, and feel confidence that their medical treatment will be far better than it has been.
And these matters, along with allowing pharmaceutical goods from Canada, taking the power out of the hands of American pharmaceutical companies that wish a monopoly, will also keep the Medicare program alive, well, and prosperous!
These ideas came from a good friend of mine, and a fan of my blog, Maggie Mitchell of Maryland, and I thank her for this blog entry idea! I could not have produced this without her cooperation! She is an advanced practice nurse, Margaret Mitchell, RN, CNS, CHPN!
The economics of preventing hospital-acquired infections is extremely important not only to cut cost but also for optimum patient outcomes.
While it is impossible to prevent every nosocomial infection, here are some steps you can take to attempt to keep yourself, or your loved one, from acquiring an infection while in the hospital:
Learn how Infection spreads
Choose the cleanest hospital for your care or treatment
Ask about their infection rate.
Choose the cleanest hospital for your care or treatment.
Many states are beginning to issue “hospital report cards” or profiles that assess the safety of hospitals based on infection rates and surgical errors. You will want to check with tour state’s health department to see if this information is available. If so, review each hospital on your list to determine whether it is worthy of staying on your list based on previous patient outcomes.
Choose the Doctor with the lowest infection rate Once you know which hospital is the cleanest, then ask which doctors of the specialty you need, have admitting privileges at that hospital. Do some background research to choose the right doctor for you. Prior to your hospital admission, work with your doctor to set the stage for reducing your risk of infection. She may recommend a special soap, called chlorhexidine soap, be used each time you shower for a week before admission. She may give you a prescription to begin taking antibiotics a day or two prior to your surgery. She may tell you to stop smoking, too, because studies have shown a correlation between smoking and higher infection rates.
Prepare ahead of time for your hospital stay
Insist on hand washing by everyone who comes in contact with you!
Be aware of the spread of germ from unsafe surfaces, such as handles on faucets, overbed tables….bed pans should NEVER be set on an overbed table!
Insist your unrinary catheter is removed as soon as possible.
If the patient is onable to advocate for themself, family should take on that role.
People who have active infections of any kind should not visit you in the hospital.
Talk to your NURSE! Ask her to explain anything you don’t understand .Ask questions about your condition, treatment, medications, surgery, and post operative care. If you have a surgical wound, ask what methods will be used to avoid infection.
A good resource for patients is located online : http://patients.about.com/od/atthehospital/tp/A-Patients-Guide-To-Hospital-Acquired-Infections.htm
I want to add a huge THANK YOU to DR. FEINMAN for writing about this timely and very important subject.
The more you the patient educates him/herself the better your outcome will be.
I tell my patients, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!
I want to thank you, Maggie, for your concise and detailed explanation which can help anyone reading this blog, who will end up in the hospital at some point in the future. You have done a great service!