Obama's Health Care: Hand Hygiene in Hospitals: 1% rise in compliance = Massive Savings

Insightful study for those looking to raise their hands and lower health care costs!

Hand-Hygiene Compliance, it’s worth a HIT!

A recent in-depth study conducted by Cummings, Anderson and Kaye indicates a 1% rise in hand hygiene compliance (HHC) equals a $39K savings for the hospital. Models were set up to simulate several occurrences of hand-hygiene noncompliance by a single healthcare worker. According to the article, “Hand Hygiene Noncompliance and the Cost of Hospital-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infection”, Hand hygiene noncompliance events are associated with significant attributable hospital costs. Minimal improvements in compliance lead to substantial savings. The study used two different models:

1.       Events of noncompliance with patients of an unknown MRSA status (results: associated with 42 MRSA infections (Cost resulting in nearly $1,000,000 in cost to the hospital)

2.       Events with a known MRSA patient followed by events of an unknown MRSA patient (results: associated with 980 MRSA infections)(Cost resulting in nearly $22,000,000 in cost to the hospital)

The cost savings involved with an HHC solution are immense. With the data collected by Cummings, Anderson and Kaye and an analysis of their findings by a partner of DCC below are the conclusions that have been discovered:

·         1% increase in HHC = $200 savings per bed / year; 100% HHC = nearly $10k savings per bed / year

·         A conservative 25% increase in HHC should equate to $5k per bed / year or $1M total for a 200 bed hospital

·         Assume 500k CCM beds in the US times $10k per bed / year = $5B / year CMS problem.

o     The Hi-Tech act “hopes” that EMRs will save $1.7B per year over 10 years

o     A 25% HHC increase would result in $2.5B savings per year (forever)

o    $2.5B is a 50% GREATER savings than Hi-Tech and saves 50,000 lives per year forever