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Infection Transparency Efforts

Learn more about our Infection Transparency Efforts

On July 15, 2009, information on both infection prevention participation as well as infection prevention performance will be made available to the public on www.bcbsal.com.

Click to see how this information is displayed to the public

Infection Prevention Participation — this quality measurement demonstrates each hospital’s level of participation in the statewide infection prevention initiative known as the Alabama Hospital Quality Initiative (AHQI). All general acute care Alabama hospitals that are eligible for the Hospital Tiered Network can participate and achieve an “Excellent” (three stars) rating based on participation in the Alabama Hospital Quality Initiative (AHQI).

The hospitals participation is based on the AHQI measure for the 2009 Hospital Tiered Network. The participation was measured by attendance at statewide quarterly best practice meetings in 2008, a commitment to sharing information amongst peers, and a commitment to infection prevention education among hospital staff.

Infection Prevention Performance — only hospitals with “Excellent” performance are shown. Performance is based on electronically identified signs that indicate potential infection. Hospitals must use the CareFusion MedMined™ Automated Surveillance Technology and have 18 months of data collected to be eligible for this measurement. These hospitals receive a rating based on infection prevention performance. At this time, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama only recognizes facilities that have achieved an “Excellent” rating or that have performed better than the national average for infection prevention.

About the Nosocomial Infection Marker (NIM)

Infection Prevention Performance is determined using objective, measurable information at the hospital and unit level, such as the cardiac unit. Performance is based on the Nosocomial Infection Marker (NIM) developed by CareFusion MedMined™. A NIM is a statistically proven indicator of a potential hospital infection. NIM rates are predicted and used to categorize hospitals by comparing their observed and predicted NIM rates. Hospitals that are categorized as “Excellent” have observed NIM rates better than predicted based on scientific predictive modeling.