Healthcare Associated Infection Analysis

Healthcare Associated Infections

Healthcare-associated infections affect a large proportion of the population due to technological, staffing, and organizational challenges that undermine the quality of care for citizens. According to Lorden et al. (2017), over 3.5 million of all hospital admissions in 2010 were preventable. Most of them are linked to hospital associated infections (HAIs) obtained from healthcare settings. In particular, catheter associated infections of the urinary tract are the leading causes of morbidity as patients receive treatment for different kidney conditions. Organizations have developed various programs to address the challenge of HAI and promote patient safety such as monitoring programs and technology to boost

These safety systems are designed to prevent harm to clients, healthcare professionals, and volunteers. First, the organization understands the importance of establishing a non-punitive environment where all patients can report accidents and errors made by the staff. In particular, the development of an effective communication system is fundamental towards promoting a sustainable culture of patient safety. Sharp, Palmore, and Grady (2014) inform that the risk of HAI is as high as 10% in some healthcare settings because they lack effective communication systems for patients to report their problems. The healthcare institution currently runs an anonymous reporting system where patients can share their problems on the treatment of health professionals, equipment, and facilities within the healthcare setting. It means that people have an opportunity to provide feedback on the services offered and identify any mistakes or wrongful conduct by healthcare

Patients in different healthcare settings are vulnerable due to their conditions and sometimes lack the ability to share their challenges such as poor quality treatment and hospital-associated infections. There are cases when hospitals undermine ethics and ignore their patients’ values and interests. Healthcare professionals therefore have a responsibility to empower their patients with information on important medical decisions. However, some nurses ignore the need to communicate the risk of hospital-associated infections leading to undesirable outcomes. In cases when a hospital records a higher rate of HAI, it is important to inform a patient of the risk. This strategy supports the concept of patients’ autonomy and empowers them to make better health decisions. According to Sharp, Palmore, and Grady (2014), a telephone survey carried out in 2013 revealed that 93% of respondents agreed that knowing a hospital’s infection rates influences their selection of a care setting and physician. Healthcare institutions are however caught in an ethical dilemma because if they inform patients of the risk of infection, they may opt not to receive treatment and diagnosis. In the long-term, the risk of disease progression increases significantly. Nevertheless, the hospital has a moral responsibility to inform patients on