Affordable Care Act Streamlined surveillance for ventilator-associated pneumonia: Reducing burden and demonstrating preventability; and Prevention and Public Health Fund

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most common and deadly healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Program activities under this funding will facilitate a study to demonstrate the utility and relevance of sVAP and promote acceptance of sVAP within the critical care community. Implementation of a new, reliable, valid, clinically credible and potentially automatable VAP surveillance definition will provide the foundation for national surveillance and prevention efforts and for pay-for-reporting and pay-for-performance programs, leading to improved patient safety and fewer complications for patients needing mechanical ventilation. Specifically, the objectives of this project are to: 1. Implement prospective sVAP surveillance in 9 acute-care hospitals currently conducting VAP surveillance using existing National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) definitions; 2. Compare the total sVAP surveillance burden to the total burden associated with use of existing NHSN VAP definitions;, and 3. Implement an evidence-based VAP prevention initiative and evaluate sVAP preventability by assessing the association between sVAP rates and prevention measure compliance rates. Nine hospitals currently engaged in NHSN VAP surveillance will be recruited.

Types of Assistance: COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS