Data on outbreaks related to unsafe injection practices in ambulatory care settings are limited and may underestimate the full extent of such outbreaks, according to a report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Data collected by the CDC reveals 18 outbreaks of viral hepatitis associated with unsafe injection practices in ambulatory settings from 2001 through 2011. CDC officials and others believe this number does not represent the full scope of outbreaks for a number of reasons, such as infections often being difficult to detect and trace to specific healthcare facilities. The CDC and other officials are also not fully aware of the true costs associated with these types of outbreaks.
In addition, CMS' surveyors have stopped documenting the extent to which ASCs are following safe injection practices after fiscal year 2011, in part because of concerns that collecting these data is a burden to surveyors.
Although HHS has taken some steps to improve safe injection practices, additional targeted outreach is needed for healthcare settings not overseen by CMS. GAO recommends that HHS resume collecting data on unsafe injection practices, use those data for continued monitoring of ASCs and strengthen the targeting efforts of the One and Only Campaign for healthcare settings not overseen by CMS. HHS agreed with GAO's recommendations.
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Data collected by the CDC reveals 18 outbreaks of viral hepatitis associated with unsafe injection practices in ambulatory settings from 2001 through 2011. CDC officials and others believe this number does not represent the full scope of outbreaks for a number of reasons, such as infections often being difficult to detect and trace to specific healthcare facilities. The CDC and other officials are also not fully aware of the true costs associated with these types of outbreaks.
In addition, CMS' surveyors have stopped documenting the extent to which ASCs are following safe injection practices after fiscal year 2011, in part because of concerns that collecting these data is a burden to surveyors.
Although HHS has taken some steps to improve safe injection practices, additional targeted outreach is needed for healthcare settings not overseen by CMS. GAO recommends that HHS resume collecting data on unsafe injection practices, use those data for continued monitoring of ASCs and strengthen the targeting efforts of the One and Only Campaign for healthcare settings not overseen by CMS. HHS agreed with GAO's recommendations.
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