Measurement and feedback of infection control process measures in the intensive care unit: Impact on compliance.
BACKGROUND
Infection control process measures provide actionable and measurable indicators for performance improvement.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the relationship between the measurement and feedback of selected infection control process measures and compliance with infection control practices.


METHODS
We measured selected infection control process measures (hand hygiene, femoral catheter use as a proportion of all central venous catheter (CVC) days and proportion of head of bed elevations) in the medical respiratory intensive care unit (ICU) (MRICU) and the surgical trauma ICU (STICU). All data were collected by trained infection control practitioners. Baseline data were obtained April through June 2004. Baseline hand hygiene data were obtained from May to June. Follow-up observations were obtained from July 2004 through March 2005. Both baseline and follow-up observations were reported to the units' leadership. The data were reviewed for improvement in compliance with process measures. Differences in proportions were analyzed for statistical significance by the chi(2) test.


RESULTS
There was a statistically significant improvement in the head of bed elevation rates: 54.9% versus 98.4% (P < .001) for the MRICU and 46.5% versus 77.2% (P < .001) for the STICU, respectively. There was also a statistically significant decline in femoral catheter rates in both ICUs: 17.8% versus 10% (P = .001) in the MRICU and 8.4% versus 3% (P < .001) in the STICU, respectively. There was no significant improvement in hand hygiene rates in either ICU: 31.8% versus 39.3% (P = .1) in the MRICU and 50% versus 50.3% (P = .9) in the STICU, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Feedback of process measures lowered the use of femoral catheters and improved the proportion of elevated head of beds in 2 ICUs, but there was no significant improvement in hand hygiene.
Berhe
Mezgebe
M
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA.
Edmond
Michael B
MB
Bearman
Gonzalo
G
D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000379:methods; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006235:Hand Disinfection; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D013223:Statistics as Topic