title: Preventing bloodstream infections: a measurable national success story in quality improvement.
abstract: Over the past decade, advances in the quality of care have been slow. One area of success, however, has been in combating central line-associated bloodstream infections. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that the number of patients in US intensive care units suffering a central-line infection declined by 63 percent between 2001 and 2009. We describe the multistep process taken by many stakeholders-states, federal agencies, hospital associations, regulatory and nonprofit associations, clinicians, and local hospitals-to collaborate on the successful reduction and eradication of these infections. Having begun in Michigan, this program has spread to forty-five states, has shown sustained results in reducing hospital-associated infections and mortality, and constitutes an important measurable national success story in quality improvement and a model for improving the health and safety of Americans.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. ppronovo@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Pronovost
authors.forename: Jill A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Marsteller
authors.forename: Christine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Goeschel
mesh_terms: D016470:Bacteremia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055499:Catheter-Related Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D003428:Cross Infection; D006801:Humans; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D058996:Quality Improvement; D017751:Safety Management; D014481:United States