Podcast: Teamwork Helps to Prevent Hospital-Acquired Infections

Debra: From the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, I’m Debra James with Healthcare 411. Information for better health.

There is no better time than football season to talk about the importance of teamwork. When teams work together, everyone is able to do their best job. Today, hospitals are using this approach to help reduce preventable infections in intensive care units and other areas.

AHRQ Director Dr. Carolyn Clancy has more:

Dr. Clancy: A program funded by AHRQ shows that hospital-acquired infections in intensive care units can be reduced by teamwork, best clinical practices and a strong commitment to safety. By following this approach, ICUs in 44 states reduced the number of these infections by 40 percent over a four-year period. People used to think these potentially deadly infections couldn’t be avoided. We now know this is not the case.

Debra: To learn more about this program, called the Comprehensive Unit-Based Safety Program, visit ahrq.gov. Healthcare 411 is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.