Using Healthcare and Environmental Services Data Analytics for Infection Prevention

Moving from Data to Action

We all know that the amount of healthcare-related data is exploding. And with that explosion comes the need to turn the data into actionable decision support in the world of value-based care. Lowering occurrences of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), a primary goal of value-base services, means improving the delivery of environmental services (ES). And just like other aspects of today’s healthcare, ES is generating more and more data.

The role of ES is often overlooked in infection prevention and correspondingly ES data is underutilized. You’re not hearing hallway conversations about how the effectiveness of cleaning product XYZ is so exciting. But such “boring” data is critical to infection prevention. Actionable data from the ES world can truly make a difference in a healthcare facility’s patient care and bottom line.

So what kind of data is ES generating?

Here are just a few of the data sets your ES department may be capturing.

• Disinfection/cleaning product usage
• Cleaning staff inspection results (blacklight inspections, CDC checklist etc.)
• Disinfection device (UV emission or aerosol/misting device) events
• Cleaning staff work logs (who, what, when, where)

What correlations and intelligence can be reaped from this information?

Compiling this data in a visual way and correlating it with other data can present actionable insight for infection prevention. Here are a few of the possibilities.

• Mapping CDC reportable infections to specific rooms and cleaning personnel to spot problems with rooms or personnel
• Assigning cleaning personnel to additional training based on inspection failures to improve cleaning and lower infections
• Charting disinfection device events with the rate of CDC reportable infections to determine efficacy

Where do I get started?

Click to View the Companion Presentation

The road from data capture to data presentation to data insight is often not a straight line. Read more about the process of evolving into predictive analysis at Putting Healthcare Environmental Services Data to Work for You.

For your further reading:

• Converting Raw Data into Business Intelligence  
• Big Data and Its Technical Challenges
• Big Data in Medical Applications and Health Care