Healthcare-associated infections in Australia: tackling the ‘known unknowns’
Philip L. Russo A E F , Allen C. Cheng B C , Brett G. Mitchell D and Lisa Hall EA School of Nursing and Midwifery, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Vic. 3125, Australia.
B Infection Prevention and Healthcare Epidemiology Unit, Alfred Health, Commercial Road, Prahran, Vic. 3181, Australia.
C Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Commercial Road, Prahran, Vic. 3181, Australia. Email: acscheng@gmail.com
D Avondale College of Higher Education, 185 Fox Valley Road, Wahroonga, NSW 2076, Australia. Email: brett.mitchell@avondale.edu.au
E Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, 60 Musk Avenue, Kelvin Grove, Qld 4059, Australia. Email: l11.hall@qut.edu.au
F Corresponding author. Email: p.russo@deakin.edu.au
Australian Health Review 42(2) 178-180 https://doi.org/10.1071/AH16223
Submitted: 8 October 2016 Accepted: 1 February 2017 Published: 7 March 2017
Abstract
Australia does not have a national healthcare-associated infection (HAI) surveillance program. Without national surveillance, we do not understand the burden of HAIs, nor can we accurately assess the effects of national infection prevention initiatives. Recent research has demonstrated disparity between existing jurisdictional-based HAI surveillance activity while also identifying broad key stakeholder support for the establishment of a national program. A uniform surveillance program will also address growing concerns about hospital performance measurements and enable public reporting of hospital data.
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