By reviewing patient safety and quality information, consumers can feel confident that they are making better educated choices about their health care. It is crucial to the overall well-being of patients that they concentrate on their health and recovery and trust that their care providers are committed to safety and transparency. The release of data is one way to illustrate that commitment to patients and to facilitate trusting hospital-patient relationships beginning the moment an individual seeks care.

To support the ongoing transparency efforts of Michigan hospitals, the MHA Keystone Center for Patient Safety & Quality released the first voluntary report of bloodstream infections in the state in late 2009. The aggregate intensive care unit central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) data was collected from hospitals participating in the MHA Keystone: Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patient safety improvement collaborative from January 2008 to December 2008. (A central-line is a catheter (tube) that is passed through a vein to the thoracic (chest) portion of the vena cava (the large vein returning blood to the heart) or in the right atrium (chamber) of the heart.)

This data is categorized by ICU type - burn, coronary, medical, medical/surgical major teaching, medical/surgical, neurosurgical, surgical, surgical cardiothoracic and trauma. The rate is reported as the number of CLABSIs per 1,000 central line days and is calculated by dividing the number of CLABSIs by the number of central line days and multiplying the result by 1,000. Lower rates signify better outcomes. Pediatric rates are not included as the MHA Keystone Center has not captured data for these units.

For more information, contact Sam R. Watson (swatson@mha.org), Senior Vice President, Patient Safety and Quality, at the MHA.