Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius discussed two just-released reports on the quality of American Health Care during a speech before the AFSCME Nurses Conference, according to a press release on the HHS's website. In that speech, Secretary Sebelius urged hospitals to work further on reducing health care associated infections. In addition to announcing the reports, the Secretary also announced $50 million in Recovery Act resources will be available to combat health care-related infections and to improve public safety.

The two reports are published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ): the annual 2008 National Healthcare Quality Report and 2008 National Healthcare Disparities Report. The HHS press release says the reports suggest that patient safety measures have worsened and also that many Americans are not receiving recommended medical care.

"Today's reports show why we can't wait to enact comprehensive health reform," Secretary Sebelius said. "The status quo is unsustainable and we cannot allow millions of Americans to continue to go without the care they need and deserve."

The reports found the following:
--Patients do not receive 40 % of recommended care.
--Only 40% of diabetic patients received three recommended diabetic preventive exams in the past year.
--Only half of obese adults and children are given advice to exercise and eat healthy.
--Seven out of ten adults with mood, anxiety, or impulse disorders either only received inadequate treatment or even no treatment at all.
--Disparities in health care continue as patients of color receive disproportionately poor care compared to Caucasian patients.
---One in seven hospitalized Medicare patients experience at least one adverse event.
--Patient safety measures have worsened by nearly 1% each year for the past 6 years.
--Several hundred thousand patients incur central line associated blood stream infections (CLABSIs) each year.

According to the HHS, a main reason for patient safety decline has been the rise of health care associated infections (HAI), patient-acquired infections during a stay in a health care setting including hospitals and nursing homes. The HHS says HAIs are a leading cause of death in the United States, and contribute to the rising cost of health care by up to $20 billion per year.

The $50 million will be in the form of grants funded by the American Recovery Act available for states to help fight healthcare-associated infections (HAI): $40 million available through competitive grants to eligible states to create or expand state-based HAI prevention, surveillance efforts, and training; and $10 million in grants to states to improve the process and increase the frequency of inspections for ambulatory surgical centers.

"Healthcare-associated infections can make illnesses worse, further debilitate patients who are already struggling and sometimes lead to death," Secretary Sebelius further stated in the press release. "Through the funding provided by the Recovery Act, we can help prevent these infections and improve the quality of care for all patients."

The Secretary called on hospitals nationwide to commit on reducing Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections in Intensive Care Units by 75 percent over the next three years. Secretary Sebelius also challenged hospitals to utilize a proven patient-safety checklist which the HHS says can "significantly and dramatically" reduce the rate of infections. The checklist can be accessed at http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/clichklist.htm.

"Patients expect to get better in a healthcare facility, not worse," Secretary Sebelius concluded. "The Recovery Act money will help protect patient safety, but we need hospitals to do more. Today, I'm challenging hospitals to take basic steps to fight infections that are weakening our health care system and threatening patient safety."

The reports issued can be accessed at: http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/qrdr08.htm

Adapted from a press release by the Department of Health and Human Services.