AHRQ gives $34 million to nursing homes, other settings to fight healthcare-associated infections

The Health and Human Service’s Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality said it will be giving $34 million to projects working to prevent healthcare-associated infections in long-term care facilities, hospitals, ambulatory care settings and end-stage renal disease facilities.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are 2 million cases of healthcare-associated infections in hospitals each year, resulting in almost 100,000 deaths. AHRQ is working with other healthcare agencies, including Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CDC and the National Institutes of Health to get a sense of where the funds will be best spent. AHRQ officials say that while there is a growing body of research and information about how these infections are spread in hospitals, research is lacking for other healthcare settings, such as ambulatory clinics and long-term care facilities.

“We know that infections can occur in any health care setting.” Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D., AHRQ director said. “With these new projects, we can apply what has worked in reducing infections in hospitals to other settings and ultimately help patients feel confident they are in safe hands, regardless of where they receive care.”