Hospital infection rates are now available on MyHospitals.gov.au, an Australian Ministry for Health and Ageing Web site that offers information on the services and performance of over 750 public and over 150 private hospitals. For the first time, Australians can see how well their local public hospital is controlling the staph infection known as staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia, or SAB.
Ms. Roxon said SAB is a national indicator of patient safety and health care quality since 2008. Though incidence of infection has been collected by all states and territories, it has not always been publicly reported at a hospital level.
"The Gillard Government believes that patients have a basic right to know about the performance of their public hospitals. The publication of infection rates caused by these potentially deadly bacteria will drive improved hospital performance," Minister Roxon said in a press release. "Now for the first time patients will be able to see how their hospital performs in controlling infections."
On the MyHospitals Web site, the numbers and rates of infections are available to all Australians for over 450 public hospitals, representing over 87 percent of patient bed days. The Web site measures and data were developed and compiled by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), a national agency that works with the federal government and state and territory health departments to collect, analyze, and disseminate statistics and data.
The AIHW is currently working with the Australian Government and state and territory governments on further enhancements to the MyHospitals Web site. Over time, hospital readmission rates will also be included on the Web site.
Sources:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/mr-yr11-nr-nr219.htm
http://www.myhospitals.gov.au/
http://ahha.asn.au/news/infection-rates-available-myhospitals-website