Surgical Infection Prevention: Success Stories NEW JERSEY New Jersey Hospital Efforts Result in Decreased Surgical Infections New Jersey hospitals are participating in a project to reduce rates of surgical infections and have been successful with their efforts. The project was led by Healthcare Quality Strategies, Inc., The Healthcare Quality Improvement Organization of New Jersey, Inc., under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Three quality measures were used to gauge improvement: the number of patients who received appropriate prophylactic antibiotics (antibiotics administered to prevent an infection); the number of patients who received prophylactic antibiotics within one hour of surgical incision; and the number of patients in whom prophylactic antibiotics were discontinued within 24 hours of surgery end time. The measures, which are endorsed by numerous medical organizations, have been shown to reduce the incidence of surgical infections. In New Jersey, rates for all of the surgical infection measures improved from the baseline period of the project ( 4/1/01 – 9/30/01) to the first quarter of 2004. The rates for the second and third measures increased to 70.33% from 36.10% and 67.05% from 40.30%, respectively, reflecting relative improvements of approximately 50% from baseline. Rates for the first measure improved to 87.36% from 86.70%, a 4.95% relative improvement. Healthcare Quality Strategies, Inc. has supported the sharing of information among New Jersey hospitals to decrease surgical infections. For example, one hospital created a form that assisted its surgeons and other members of the perioperative team in complying with recognized standards for prophylactic antibiotic selection, administration, and timing. There was an 80.3% relative improvement in the average surgical infection prevention rate for the hospital from baseline to the first quarter of 2004. This tool was shared with other hospitals in a Healthcare Quality Strategies, Inc.-sponsored learning session. For more information, contact: Cari Miller, Director of Communications Healthcare Quality Strategies, Inc., cmiller@njqio.sdps.org or 732-238-5570, ext. 2085. This material was prepared by Healthcare Quality Strategies, Inc., the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for New Jersey , under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents do not necessarily reflect CMS policy.

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