Healthcare Design - February 2017 - 11

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GOOD NEWS FOR
PAT I E N T S A F E T Y

The number of healthcare-associated conditions
is dropping, according to a new report. So what's
design got to do with it? By Kristin D. Zeit

REDU CING THE INCIDENCE of healthcareassociated conditions (HACs)-a term that includes infections, falls resulting in injury, and
basically anything else in which a consumer in
a healthcare setting ends up worse off just by
showing up-has been very high on the priority list for hospital systems over the past several
years. And the good news is the efforts seem to
be paying off.
In December 2016, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) released its
scorecard on rates of HACs between 2010 and 2015. The preliminary estimates show a 21 percent decline during that period-3.1 million fewer
incidents than would have occurred if 2010 rates had held steady.
The upshot of this? An estimated 125,000
fewer patient deaths and a savings of $28 bilWE AS AN INDUSTRY
lion in healthcare costs.
The 21 percent drop can largely be attribCAN HELP REDUCE
uted to fewer incidents of adverse drug events,
PATIENT FALLS AND THE
pressure ulcers, and catheter-associated urinary tract infections. All other infections,
SPREAD OF CERTAIN
falls, and events combined accounted for
TYPES OF INFECTIONS.
about one-fifth of the total drop.
The report suggests that the decline, at least
in part, might be due to the financial incentives created by Medicaid/
Medicare; public reporting of hospital-level results; and other public and
private initiatives to improve healthcare quality and patient safety. And
that last part is where you-designers, architects, providers, and product
suppliers-come in.

There are plenty of architectural and interior design solutions that seek to reduce falls
and allow for easier, more effective cleaning to
cut down on the spread of infections. Product
manufacturers are hard at work on innovations
in materials for textiles and high-touch surfaces.
There is existing research that strongly supports
the efficacy of these solutions: the antimicrobial
properties of copper, silver, and even a new line
of paint; the sanitizing properties of UV lighting;
and more. But we need a lot more research, a lot
more proof-and then we, as an industry, need to
continue to shout it from the rooftops.
Because while the HAC numbers may be dropping, the overall number of incidents is still extraordinarily high. Design interventions and the
types of building products specified, realistically,
aren't likely to have an effect on all kinds of HACs.
But patient falls and the spread of certain types of
infections? We as an industry can help that. And
as this latest report shows, the payoff is significant
in terms of both dollars and lives saved.
As design teams have taken on more of a consultant role in many matters (and may take on
even more as the new administration starts
implementing healthcare policy changes), it's
in your best interest to stay abreast of the very
latest research on patient-safety design efforts
and product innovations to reduce HACs. Better
yet: Conduct this kind of research yourself, and
share it with your peers. Persuade your clients
to keep track of data that can contribute to this
type of research, and share it with their peers.
Talk to the manufacturers you regularly work
with, vet their product claims, and work with
them to conduct more research...and, yes, share
it with their peers. Share it with all of us.
To read the full report from AHRQ, click
the link in the online version of this article at
HCDmagazine.com/trends/perspectives/HACs,
or go directly to www.ahrq.gov and search for
"HAC scorecard." And for an excellent discussion of some of the newest breakthroughs in
products designed to reduce healthcare-associated infections, see "The Good Fight" by
ESa's Sam Burnette in the October 2016 issue of
Healthcare Design. 

FEBRUARY 2017

http://www.HCDmagazine.com/trends/perspectives/HACs http://www.ahrq.gov

Healthcare Design - February 2017

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