title: Postdischarge surgical site infection surveillance practices in Washington acute care hospitals.
abstract: Little is known about postdischarge surveillance practices currently in place among American hospitals. This survey describes practices used by acute care hospitals covered by Washington State's legislated mandate for public reporting of surgical site infections. While the vast majority of facilities use multiple techniques, wide variation in practices was discovered.
authors.affiliation: Washington State Department of Health, Olympia, Washington 98504-7811, USA. roxie.zarate@doh.wa.gov
authors.forename: Roxie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zarate
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Birnbaum
mesh_terms: D018563:Disease Notification / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D019221:Mandatory Reporting; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D011182:Postoperative Care; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology