Compose a 2000 words essay on The Joint Commission Approach to Quality Assurance. Needs to be plagiarism free!Download file to see previous pages... It has been estimated that nosocomial infections co

Compose a 2000 words essay on The Joint Commission Approach to Quality Assurance. Needs to be plagiarism free!

It has been estimated that nosocomial infections cost the country between $28 billion to $33 billion each year (AHRQ, 2009). Although there are many types of bacteria responsible for HAIs, the most common is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA). Studies have revealed that the number of hospital stays associated with MRSA tripled from 128,500 in 2000 to 368,600 in 2005 (Elixhauser &amp. Steiner, 2007). Patients who contract nosocomial infections during their hospital stay have extended hospital stays and have a higher rate of death when compared to patients who do not contract these infections. Typically, these infections are associated with invasive medical devices and surgical procedures and therefore they commonly occur in the intensive care units of hospitals. Description of the Issue Based on current trends, about 5% to 10% of patients develop nosocomial infections during their hospital stay (Pharmaceutical Market Research, 2011). The four most frequently occurring hospital acquired infections are (Pharmaceutical Market Research, 2011): 1. Urinary tract infection – 35% 2. Hospital acquired pneumonia – 15% 3. Surgical site infections and – 14% 4. ...

Again, 2.8 cases out of every 100 operations would contract surgical site infections (Eriksen, 2005). One of the important facts about HAIs is that over the years, the infections caused by gram-positive bacteria like staphylococcus aureus and enteroccoci have increased significantly (Pharmaceutical Market Research, 2011). Several of these gram-positive bacteria have also developed resistance towards many of the antibiotics that are currently available in the market. Although majority of the HAIs are caused by gram-positive bacteria, there has been a significant rise in the prevalence of nosocomial multi-drug resistant, gram-negative bacteria like extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing E-coli, K. pnemoniae and certain strains of P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii (Pharmaceutical Market Research, 2011). Major Stakeholders Involved in Addressing Nosocomial Infections There are numerous stakeholders who are involved in addressing the quality issue regarding nosocomial infections: Federal and State Governments At the federal level, the Department of Health and Human Services ensures patient safety through the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The AHRQ implements preventive evidence-based practices and collects and distributes various healthcare quality measurements through the Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a federal body that has been surveying nosocomial infections through its National Healthcare Safety Network. Currently it has more than 300 hospitals registered across the country for the purpose of conducting surveillance of nosocomial infections.