TY - JOUR
T1 - A three-steps integrated program of hospital environmental surveillance: costs and potential savings
AU - La Milia, Daniele Ignazio
AU - Laurenti, Patrizia
AU - Damiani, Gianfranco
AU - Moscato, Umberto
AU - Bruno, Stefania
AU - Boccia, Stefania
AU - Quaranta, Gianluigi
AU - Posteraro, Brunella
AU - Ficarra, Maria Giovanna
AU - Vincenti, Sara
AU - Milovanovic, M
AU - Avolio, Maria
AU - Raponi, Matteo
AU - Ricciardi, Walter
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Background
The three-steps integrated program of environmental surveillance
(SIPES) carried out by Hospital Hygiene Unit (HHU) in
Gemelli Teaching Hospital (GTH) ensure patients and
healthcare personnel safety through a safe environment,
reducing risk of healthcare associated infections (HAIs).
The aim of this study is to assess costs of SIPES and savings
due to avoidance of HAI cases.
Methods
Costs for year 2014 was computed by wages of managers and
technicians employees in HHU and budget for materials
needed to carry out laboratory analysis.
A Budget Impact Analysis (BIA), from 2011 to 2014, was
performed to evaluate savings. The variables included in BIA
are annual number of healthcare production processes or
procedures in GTH, number of samples surveyed by HHU and
the resultant nonconformity, attack rate and unit cost of HAI
reported in Medline database.
Results
Personnel employed in HHU is composed by 7 medical
doctors, 2 biologists and 6 technicians. The total amount of
gross salary of employees in 2014 is E446.000 and the budget
300 European Journal of Public Health, Vol. 25, Supplement 3, 2015
for materials in 2014 is E20.000. The costs of SIPES of HHU in
2014 is E464.000.
BIA results show that the SIPES performed by HHU allowed
the saving of E354.676 between 2011 and 2014, taking into
account only the HAIs as adverse event and considering costs
of their treatment.
Conclusions
The results of our study suggest that a well structured
environmental surveillance program, like the one implemented
and pursued by HHU to ensure patients and healthcare
personnel safety, may allow to save financial resources
considering all adverse event such as compensations after
legal cases.
Further evaluations are needed to asses potential savings
arising from prevention of all adverse events in hospital.
Key message
Targeted environmental monitoring aimed at healthcare
associated infection risk assessment and management
represents an effective and cost saving tool
AB - Background
The three-steps integrated program of environmental surveillance
(SIPES) carried out by Hospital Hygiene Unit (HHU) in
Gemelli Teaching Hospital (GTH) ensure patients and
healthcare personnel safety through a safe environment,
reducing risk of healthcare associated infections (HAIs).
The aim of this study is to assess costs of SIPES and savings
due to avoidance of HAI cases.
Methods
Costs for year 2014 was computed by wages of managers and
technicians employees in HHU and budget for materials
needed to carry out laboratory analysis.
A Budget Impact Analysis (BIA), from 2011 to 2014, was
performed to evaluate savings. The variables included in BIA
are annual number of healthcare production processes or
procedures in GTH, number of samples surveyed by HHU and
the resultant nonconformity, attack rate and unit cost of HAI
reported in Medline database.
Results
Personnel employed in HHU is composed by 7 medical
doctors, 2 biologists and 6 technicians. The total amount of
gross salary of employees in 2014 is E446.000 and the budget
300 European Journal of Public Health, Vol. 25, Supplement 3, 2015
for materials in 2014 is E20.000. The costs of SIPES of HHU in
2014 is E464.000.
BIA results show that the SIPES performed by HHU allowed
the saving of E354.676 between 2011 and 2014, taking into
account only the HAIs as adverse event and considering costs
of their treatment.
Conclusions
The results of our study suggest that a well structured
environmental surveillance program, like the one implemented
and pursued by HHU to ensure patients and healthcare
personnel safety, may allow to save financial resources
considering all adverse event such as compensations after
legal cases.
Further evaluations are needed to asses potential savings
arising from prevention of all adverse events in hospital.
Key message
Targeted environmental monitoring aimed at healthcare
associated infection risk assessment and management
represents an effective and cost saving tool
KW - hospital environmental surveillance
KW - hospital environmental surveillance
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/69278
M3 - Conference article
SN - 1101-1262
VL - 25 (Suppl. 3)
SP - 300
EP - 301
JO - European Journal of Public Health
JF - European Journal of Public Health
T2 - 8th European Public Health Conference – “Health in Europe – from global to local policies, methods and practices”
Y2 - 14 October 2015 through 17 October 2015
ER -
