New Infection Prevention and Control Requirements: Is Your Hospital Ready

On July 1, 2024, The Joint Commission(TJC) implemented new and revised infection prevention and control requirements, significantly impacting critical access hospitals and acute care accreditation programs across the country. By reducing 51 elements of performance to 14, this comprehensive update is helping hospitals streamline their infection control efforts to allow for more efficient, impactful operations and better patient outcomes.

The update also introduced new standards specifically focused on preparedness for high-consequence infectious diseases or special pathogens. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for robust preparedness and response strategies in healthcare settings, and the new requirements emphasize the importance of not only being equipped to manage similar diseases when they arise, but to prevent their spread within the facility, protect healthcare workers, and ensure quality care for all patients.

These updates represent a fundamental shift in how hospitals must approach infection control, patient safety, and overall healthcare quality. As such, hospitals will need to carefully evaluate their existing clinical surveillance solutions to ensure they are equipped to meet these challenges head-on and stay ahead of emerging risks.

Does your hospital's infection prevention solution meet the mark? Here's what hospitals need to consider.

Timely alerts are a strategic advantage

Infection prevention and control is an area where every second counts. Delays in identifying potential infections can lead to the spread of harmful pathogens within a healthcare facility, putting patients and staff at risk. Whether it's identifying a patient who needs to be isolated, detecting a hospital-acquired infection (HAI), or recognizing an emerging outbreak, clinical surveillance solutions that deliver accurate alerts in near-real time ensure clinicians are proactively notified of critical intervention opportunities. Hospitals with robust alerting systems are better positioned to prevent outbreaks, improve patient outcomes, and maintain compliance with new regulatory standards.

Adaptability matters

In today's ever-changing environment, hospitals need infection prevention solutions that can evolve with them. As healthcare continues to face new and unexpected challenges, from pandemics to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, hospitals must invest in solutions that are future-proof - capable of adapting to new threats, incorporating the latest scientific advancements, and supporting ongoing staff training and preparedness. This includes considering the cost-effectiveness of the solution, its ability to scale across multiple facilities, and its compatibility with existing electronic health records (EHRs) and other healthcare IT systems.

The ability to quickly adapt to changes, such as new TJC requirements, is essential for maintaining compliance and providing high-quality care. Solutions that allow for fast and easy rule creation and deployment across multiple facilities can help hospitals stay ahead of emerging risks and regulatory requirements.

Automated workflows are essential

When clinicians are bogged down with manual data entry, chart reviews, and other administrative tasks, it detracts from their ability to focus on what matters most - preventing infections and ensuring patient safety. By automating routine tasks, infection prevention solutions allow clinical teams to shift their focus from administrative burdens to proactive care.

This prioritization not only helps clinical teams work more effectively - it ensures that these activities are conducted systematically and are aligned with hospital protocols. It also frees up valuable time for clinicians to focus on educating patients, implementing preventive measures, and responding to emerging risks, all of which contribute to better patient outcomes.

Empower data-driven decisions with advanced analytics

As hospitals strive to meet TJC's new requirements, the need for advanced reporting and data analysis capabilities has never been more crucial. Hospitals must be able to track and analyze data over time to identify patterns, recognize emerging threats, and assess the impact of their prevention efforts. Infection prevention solutions with robust data analysis capabilities enable hospitals to delve deep into their data, uncovering insights that might otherwise go unnoticed. For example, by analyzing trends in specific infection types or in particular units of the hospital, healthcare leaders can pinpoint areas of concern and take targeted action to mitigate risks.

These insights are not only valuable for day-to-day operations but also for long-term planning. By understanding how infections have trended historically, hospitals can anticipate future challenges and allocate resources more effectively. This forward-looking approach is especially important in the context of TJC's new focus on preparedness for high-consequence infectious diseases, where early detection and proactive management are key to preventing widespread outbreaks.

By comparing metrics across locations, health system leaders can identify best practices, share successful strategies, and address any gaps in care. This level of oversight is critical for ensuring that all facilities within a system are adhering to the same high standards of infection prevention and control. Moreover, it supports a culture of continuous improvement, where data-driven insights lead to tangible enhancements in patient safety and care quality across the entire organization.

VigiLanz Infection Prevention supports TJC's new requirements

Ranked #1 by KLAS Researchin Infection Control and Monitoring, VigiLanz Infection Preventionprovides the tools and support necessary to not only meet but exceed TJCs new standards. By prioritizing actionable alerts, easy configurability, comprehensive automation, and advanced reporting, VigiLanz solutionsenable hospitals to enhance their infection prevention efforts in several key ways, ultimately leading to better care and outcomes for all patients:

• Rule-based AI: The software uses advanced rule-based artificial intelligence to align with hospital policies and procedures, providing real-time alerts that help clinicians intervene sooner to ensure proactive care.

• Configurable rules: Hospitals can create, update, and deploy rules across multiple facilities within minutes, ensuring they remain agile and compliant with TJC's evolving standards without delays.

• Comprehensive rounding tools: The solution's rounding tools automate routine tasks while helping prioritize critical processes such as patient rounding, cluster tracking, and hand hygiene monitoring.

• Isolation management: By capturing and analyzing data from various sources, including labs, orders, and radiology reports, VigiLanz helps hospitals identify patients who need isolation in near-real time, reducing the risk of spreading infections.

• Targeted HAI detection: Robust rules for detecting HAIs reduce the time and effort required for clinicians to identify and validate potential infections.

• Direct NHSN reporting: VigiLanz Infection Prevention simplifies the process of reporting to the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), saving hundreds of hours and enabling direct submissions without additional fees, packages, or contracts.

• Enterprise-level insights: The solution provides comprehensive reporting and analysis capabilities, enabling hospitals to identify and monitor infection trends across multiple facilities.

By addressing these critical areas, VigiLanz Infection Prevention equips hospitals with the tools they need to comply with TJC's new requirements, enhance their infection prevention and control efforts, and ultimately improve patient safety and outcomes.

Level up with VigiLanz solutions

Let us show you how VigiLanz Infection Prevention can raise the bar on patient care at your organization. Contact us todayand get connected with one of our clinical experts.

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