McLeod Health Goes Paperless, Automatically Uploads Data to CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network

By eliminating piles of paper, McLeod Health is now able to more effectively monitor clinical data and reduce infections with the help of the Charlotte, N.C.-based Premier healthcare alliance's SafetyConnect program.

In 2006, two infection preventionists (IPs) were responsible for McLeod’s infection control program. Surveillance was retrospective for 20 percent of patients, most of whom were in critical care. And the data was 90 percent on paper, which meant that manual collection took half of the IPs’ time. This led to slow responses to outbreaks or clusters by the IPs, and interventions were delayed. Eighty percent of patients missed opportunities for improvement.

To increase the scope of surveillance and reduce manual data collection at its three hospitals and other facilities, the Florence, S.C.-based system joined SafetyConnect, which helps providers protect patients more effectively, avoid Medicare payment penalties and cut costs by working to reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The program provides real-time analysis, intervention, and productivity gains using Premier’s automated SafetySurveillor infection surveillance solution. SafetyConnect also increases visibility and interaction with clinical staff.