Researchers studied the discordance of CLABSI events reported from chart reviews, which use the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s NHSN criteria, with CLABSI events reported from claims data. In six academic institutions, the researchers identified 150 consecutive patients with CLABSI based on the NHSN criteria and an additional 150 consecutive patients with CLABSI based on claims codes.
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Among the CLABSI cases identified through chart review, 73 percent did not match claims data, primarily because claims data had coding omissions and lack of physician documentation of bacteremia cause, according to the study. Among the CLABSI cases identified through claims data, 65.3 percent were discordant with NHSN criteria, often because NHSN identified non-CLABSIs with bacteremia meeting CDC criteria for an alternative infection source, according to the study. In contrast, claims data commonly misclassified non-CLABSIs as CLABSIs.
The authors concluded that NHSN criteria are a more consistent standard for reporting CLABSI rates across different hospitals.
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