From clean dishes to clean hands

In the United States, hospital-acquired infections account for around 99,000 patient deaths per year. These infections are increasingly caused by drug-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which accounts for 19,000 patient deaths per year. Fresh perspectives with tools adapted from other disciplines may provide the insight to identify opportunities for local and regional prevention efforts. For the past several years, we have researched novel methods to understand the nature of infectious spread. In one example, we applied a geographic information system (GIS) to clearly demonstrate flawed hospital processes, including inappropriate patient placement and poor hand washing by providers. Recently, we applied a shared community health record to identify the complex web of interhospital interactions and coordinate a regional infection control intervention.