title: Ten years of KISS: the most important requirements for success.
abstract: Ten years ago, in January 1997, data collection for the German national nosocomial infection surveillance system was established, which is known by the acronym KISS (Krankenhaus-Infektions-Surveillance-System). Meanwhile KISS was able to demonstrate a beneficial effect from ongoing surveillance activities and appropriate feedback to the users in combination with reference data for ventilator associated pneumonia, primary bloodstream infections and surgical site infections. Significant reductions of infection rates between 20-30% over 3 years periods in the components for intensive care units, operative departments and neonatal intensive care units were demonstrated. Due to our experience the following requirements have to be fulfilled to keep a surveillance system successful over longer periods: close contact between the participating institutions, consideration of new developments, timely regular data feedback and constant reevaluation of the way of data presentation, data validity and demonstration of its contribution to the reduction of healthcare associated infections (HAI). The article describes in more detail how KISS tries to fulfill these requirements.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Charité-University Medicine in Berlin, Germany. petra.gastmeier@charite.de
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gastmeier
authors.forename: Dorit
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sohr
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schwab
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Behnke
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zuschneid
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dettenkofer
authors.forename: Iris F
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Chaberny
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rüden
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Geffers
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012308:Risk Management / Q000379:methods*