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StumbleUponWorking in the trenches of the intensive care unit at Johns Hopkins, Peter Pronovost, MD, noticed something. Often, amid the chaos and stress of the busy ICU, his colleagues would fail to follow basic guidelines for preventing bacteria from invading the tubes,or lines, that deliver medicine and fluids directly to major blood vessels.
Each year, hospitals see roughly 80,000 cases of line infections, which cause longer stays in the hospital, spiraling costs and sometimes even death. Figuring these complications could be avoided, Dr. Pronovost instituted something so simple, his colleagues initially found it insulting. Following the basic recommendations made by the CDC, he devised a concise checklist that all doctors must follow when inserting central lines.
Should any doctor fail to complete any one of these instructions, a nurse would be nearby (with checklist in hand) to correct the physician. From 2001 to 2002, the hospital’s rate of line infections dropped from 11 a day to zero and saved an estimated $1.8 million. Soon after, the state of Michigan adopted Dr. Pronovost’s checklist and saw infection rates slashed by 60 percent within the first three months. Almost two years later, the Michigan Health and Hospital Association estimates that the project has saved 1,600 lives and $165 million. “Better and safer care, faster recovery, improved comfort for patients and lower health care costs all come from reducing and preventing infections,” says MHA President Spencer Johnson.
Five years on, why isn’t this standard practice in every U.S. hospital? Good question. If adopted nationwide, the simple procedure could save 18,000 lives and over $2 billion each year. That’s enough to provide health insurance to 800,000 uninsured people.
Dr. Pronovost recommends contacting your local health care association. “Ask for your hospital’s infection rates and then find out what it’s doing to eliminate them.” A full list of all hospital associations can be found at americanhospitals.com.
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